Building Trust in Nuclear’s Safety Culture

While nuclear and radiological accidents are few and far between, in-depth analyses show that weaknesses in safety culture are root causes in most cases. Since the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear accident in 2011, the safety culture concept that puts layers of safety first has been and is being implemented rapidly.

To better understand how attitudes are shifting towards strengthening safety in the nuclear industry, we spoke to Tom Mitchell, Chairman of the World Association of Nuclear Operators (WANO). At the helm of WANO for two years, and with over 40 years of experience in the nuclear industry, Mitchell is leading the nuclear operator community’s focus towards a strengthened safety culture.

WANO is a non-profit organization that helps its global membership of commercial nuclear power plant operators achieve operational safety and reliability by providing peer reviews, and access to technical support and a global library of operating experience.

Next month, experiences and lessons learned from the accident, as well as achievements undertaken by national, regional, and international communities since, will be the focus of the International Conference on a Decade of Progress after Fukushima-Daiichi

Q: After the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear accident, public support for nuclear power suffered over concerns of safety. How can trust with the public be restored?

A: That’s a good question and something all of us in the nuclear industry think about. Trust is about confidence, and, since the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear accident, the nuclear industry has been looking to rebuild trust in three main areas: in technology, in oversight — which includes licensing and regulation — and in the operators who run nuclear facilities.

At WANO we don’t have much interaction with the technology side of things, and regulation is a big part of what the IAEA does. But regarding operators, the fact that there is a WANO, a voluntary organization that gathers nuclear operators from around the world and seeks to maximize the focus on nuclear safety, should help instil confidence in operators and earn trust from the public.

Q: Strong safety standards are essential for nuclear facilities, but they can also increase operation costs. Is cost reduction a challenge to safety culture, and, if so, how can a balance be found?

A: Price is important to an essential product like electricity, and we don’t find a contradiction between improving human performance and leadership aspects of safety and keeping prices competitive. In our experience, safety-focused organizations are efficient in running reactors with high-capacity loads. Safety changes can have a positive impact on reliability, which ultimately improves cost-effectiveness. We find improving safety culture to be complementary to reducing operation costs.

Q: How can leaders of nuclear operators encourage safety culture in their operations?

A: I’ve been a plant manager at two large nuclear power plants in Canada and the United States of America, and my view is that it’s essential to lead by example. Leaders set an example in the way they interact with their staff and deal with issues when they arise.

It’s important to have the right mindset as a leader, and WANO works with operators to develop effective leadership attributes. We have a broad definition of leadership and try to promote good qualities in training programmes across the board — dealing with issues present in different technologies, including safety.

Q: What example can the rest of the nuclear industry follow in terms of a strong safety culture, and why do you think they have it right?

A: A key attribute of WANO is that we learn from each other, both within our industry and outside of it. When you look outside nuclear, what comes to mind as a good example is the airline industry, and historically we have a relationship of studying one another, for instance how teams should function in a control room or cockpit.

One of the key things we do at WANO is identify strengths and learn what transpires in other industries, particularly positive lessons learned and better practices. Emulation and sharing of experiences are built into operators’ mission statement — that’s our job.

I also like to think that some of what we’ve done in the nuclear industry has migrated to other industries. If you go to a hospital for surgery in the United States, for example, you’ll hear a lot of ‘repeat-backs’ and other tactics used by surgeons to avoid miscommunication and human error. These practices were piloted in nuclear.

Q: How can the IAEA further support safety culture in the nuclear industry?

A: The IAEA has a hugely important role to play in improving safety culture in the nuclear industry, and over the past decade the relationship between WANO and the IAEA has strengthened. As the chair of WANO, I want to see that continue.

A recent successful example of our cooperative work is that with new entrants in the nuclear industry. Working very closely with the IAEA and the Electric Power Research Institute, or EPRI, we put together a road map that guides countries through all the steps needed to transition to nuclear power, from construction to operation — placing safety and regulations first.

When you think about extending nuclear power operations and implementing new technology, the Agency has an important role in ensuring it’s done safely, and it can work with the operator community to achieve that. This is critical, as extending operations and maintaining nuclear energy’s viability is extremely important towards achieving global decarbonization and ensuring a safer planet for everyone.