The IAEA has developed an e-learning course providing an overview of the Agency’s Safety Standards, which is now available in all official languages of the UN — Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish. The course, which was previously already available in English, provides participants with a better and clearer understanding of the basis of the safety standards, how they are developed, and how they are used and applied in the peaceful applications of nuclear technology.
The course is intended for regulators and other users of the IAEA safety standards, such as co-sponsoring organizations and industries that design, construct and operate nuclear facilities, or industries engaged in uses of radiation and radioactive sources.
“The IAEA safety standards are a cornerstone of the IAEA mission in the area of nuclear and radiation safety,” said Deputy Director General, Lydie Evrard, Head of the IAEA Department of Nuclear Safety and Security. “Promoting the application of the standards is also part of the Agency’s mandate. This e-learning course is an important initiative, and it is valuable to have it available in the six official IAEA languages, that will allow to reach a wider group of stakeholders across all regions.”
The IAEA safety standards are a series of publications that contain the safety fundamentals, requirements and guides to ensure a high level of nuclear and radiation safety worldwide. Regulating safety is a national responsibility and the IAEA safety standards help regulators and operators achieve the highest standards of safety.
“We hope this online e-learning course will contribute to a higher level of harmonization of nuclear and radiation safety,” said Dominique Delattre, Head of the Safety Standards and Security Guidance Development Section. “Our efforts aim to support experts in countries to have a common understanding of how safety standards are structured,developed, and what their primary objectives are.”
The 90-minute e-learning course consists of 25 short modules. It is freely available and can be completed at any time. Upon successful completion, attendees will be issued a Certificate of Completion which they can download.
IAEA safety standards are developed and revised through a rigorous process and represent international consensus on what constitutes a high level of safety for protecting people and the environment from harmful effects of ionizing radiation. The e-learning course explains this step-by-step process and identifies the primary stakeholders at each step. Additionally, information is provided on how to find relevant IAEA safety standards through navigation and search using the Nuclear Safety and Security Online User Interface.
The first IAEA Safety Standard was published in 1958. Since then, the IAEA Safety Standard series has expanded and now contains over 130 publications. The safety standards cover the safety of nuclear facilities, radiation sources in medical and industrial applications, transport of radioactive material, radioactive waste management, as well as preparedness and response to nuclear or radiological emergencies. Several international conventions, such as the Convention on Nuclear Safety and the Joint Convention on the Safety of Spent Fuel Management and on the Safety of Radioactive Waste Management contain requirements similar to those in the standards, and make them binding for Contracting Parties. The safety standards, supplemented by these international conventions, industry standards and detailed national requirements, establish a consistent basis for protecting people and the environment.
