Staff from regulatory bodies in 10 countries that are considering or preparing to introduce the use of nuclear power strengthened their ability to draft safety regulations during an IAEA workshop held in July in Moscow.
The 5 to 19 July course marked the first time that the School on Drafting Nuclear Safety Regulations targeted only regulators from Member States that are in the process of establishing the safety infrastructure for a nuclear power programme. Earlier Schools mainly targeted regulators from countries that already operate nuclear power.
The IAEA has offered the regulation drafting school regularly since 2010, helping participants incorporate IAEA safety standards and good international practices in their regulations.
The Moscow School, attended by 17 participants from Belarus, Egypt, Ghana, Jordan, Niger, Nigeria, Poland, Sudan, Uganda and Uzbekistan, focused on how to draft regulations related to management for safety and safety culture.
Supported and guided by international experts, the participants prepared draft regulations or revised existing regulations to improve them. They also worked on plans to establish the regulations needed in various step of a nuclear power programme.
“The continuous mentoring by high-level experts was a very effective way to strengthen my knowledge and skills in developing sound nuclear safety regulations,” said participant Barbara Zielińska, an Expert at Poland’s National Atomic Energy Agency.
U.S. Senior Regulatory Expert Cynthia Pederson, who lead the School, said the broad international experience shared during the workshop helped participants ensure that their regulations enable authorities to effectively oversee nuclear power plant safety.