Safety upgrades introduced at nuclear power plants since the Fukushima Daiichi accident will be the focus of an International Conference on Operational Safety, 23-26 June, at the headquarters of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in Vienna.
More than 200 experts from around the world including senior policymakers, academics and officials from regulatory bodies as well as the nuclear industry and utilities will attend the conference, the first specifically focused on operational safety to be organized by the IAEA since the 2011 accident in Japan. The conference is open to journalists.
The conference seeks to achieve and consolidate international consensus on topics including the role of IAEA operational safety peer reviews as a tool for maintaining focus on safety, and on the need for continued improvement of the IAEA safety standards. The IAEA safety standards reflect international consensus on what constitutes a high level of safety for protecting people and the environment from the harmful effects of radiation.
Operational safety refers to the safe operation and maintenance of a nuclear facility. Topics on the agenda include:
- How to implement operational safety lessons learned from the Fukushima accident in a harmonized manner
- The importance of operating experience feedback
- Safety culture and managing long-term operation of nuclear power plants
Press Opportunities
- The conference is open to journalists and will take place in Boardroom C of the C-Building at the Vienna International Centre.
- Depending on media interest, a press conference featuring IAEA Deputy Director General Denis Flory, Head of the Department of Nuclear Safety and Security, and Conference President Ken Ellis, CEO of the World Association of Nuclear Operators (WANO), may be held after the opening session, at 11:00 a.m on 23 June in Boardroom C.
- Journalists seeking interviews with conference participants are encouraged to contact the IAEA Press Office.
- A full programme is available on the conference website
Accreditation
All journalists are requested to inform the IAEA Press Office of their plans to attend. Journalists with permanent credentials to the VIC need no additional credentials. We encourage those journalists who do not yet have permanent accreditation, to request it at UNIS Vienna.
Others should contact Theresa Mackay for accreditation. Please email press@iaea.orgor call [+43-1] 2600-22048 or [+43-1] 2600-21273.