The Operational Safety Section’s mission is to support Member States in achieving a high level of operational safety and excellence in the management of nuclear power plants and other facilities using self-assessments and peer reviews based on IAEA Safety Standards.
The key tasks of the Operational Safety Section are to develop, promote and apply the safety standards of (primarily) nuclear power plants, approaching and during the operational phase. This includes the activities during commissioning and preparations for decommissioning. The operational phase also comprises operations beyond the originally licensed plant life, also known as ‘Long Term Operation’.
The Section also collaborates in other areas that are considered ‘cross-cutting’, such as management and leadership, culture for safety, and where issues are of interest to other organizations, for example nuclear regulators or operators of research reactors or fuel cycle facilities.
The Section operates the International Reporting System, a database that shares industry operating experience between various organizations in the Agency’s Member States. It also works with other IAEA Departments to help capacity-building in Member States that have, or are embarking on, nuclear power programmes. This includes for example the IAEA Departments of Nuclear Energy and Technical Cooperation.
The Section offers Member States several well-proven safety review services:
The Section provides support to Member States in building and sustaining capacity in nuclear safety. Learn more about the Section's work in this area.
