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Technical Safety Review (TSR)

This peer-review service provides for a range of assessments that address the specific needs of IAEA Member States at different stages of the development and deployment of a nuclear power programme. It provides a tailored independent evaluation of plant design safety and safety assessment documentation while also providing the requesting IAEA Member State with recommendations for enhancements of nuclear safety in areas that may need improvements to adhere to the IAEA safety standards.

The TSR service encompasses the spectrum of activities performed in support of the design, licensing and operation of current, evolutionary and innovative nuclear installations, as appropriate, and streamlines former IAEA peer-review services, such as Design Safety Review Service (DSRS), Technical Safety Review of Generic Reactor Safety (GRSR), International Probabilistic Safety Assessment Review Team, (IPSART), Review of Accident Management Programme (RAMP) under a common umbrella. The TSR service is based on the IAEA’s Safety Standards and covers the following subject areas:

  • Design Safety (DS);
  • Generic Reactor Safety (GRS);
  • Safety Requirements (SR);
  • Probabilistic Safety Assessment (PSA);
  • Accident Management (AM);
  • Periodic Safety Review (PSR).

The various assessments and review mentioned above aim at assisting plant operators and vendors, design organisations, technical support organisations and regulatory bodies in their technical evaluations, as well as in the development of requirements, and in enhancing specific aspects of nuclear installation safety. The TSR can be requested for peer-review in the following aspects:

  • Safety of operating and new nuclear power plant designs;
  • Specific chapters or entire safety analysis report;
  • Safety requirements developed by regulatory authorities;
  • Safety assessment approaches and frameworks developed by regulatory authorities;
  • Deterministic safety analyses;
  • Probabilistic safety assessments, their applications and risk-informed decision-making;
  • Accident management programmes, procedures, guidelines and supporting analysis;
  • Periodic safety reviews;
  • Interfaces between 3S - Safety, Security and Safeguards.

IAEA Member States can benefit from receiving TSR peer-review service at various stages of the nuclear life cycle, mainly:

  • Conceptual to detailed design;
  • Various pre-licensing, as well as licensing phases;
  • Nuclear power plant construction;
  • Nuclear power plant operation, including periodic safety reviews and lifetime extension.

The TSR service can also address specific technical or regulatory aspects, such as the review of plans for plant modifications or safety regulation developed for their consistency with IAEA design safety and safety assessment requirements. The different subject areas can be combined as well to address specific Member States’ needs, including a wide-ranging review of safety case documentation.

Requesting a technical safety review service

As stated in the Technical Safety Review (TSR) Service Guidelines (2019), Member States can request a TSR service from the IAEA through their Permanent Missions to the Agency. Terms of Reference for the service can be discussed, tailored to the specific Member States’ needs and agreed with the IAEA before making an official request.

The review team is composed of senior international experts and led by IAEA staff. From initiation to completion, the service takes between three and nine months, depending on the requesting Member State’s needs and the extent of selected topics. During the execution of the service, special attention is paid to discussions of and feedback on the preliminary review findings and recommendations between the IAEA team and the Member State. The services are funded by the requesting party or through the IAEA technical cooperation programme. The review concludes with a final report issued by the IAEA to the requesting Member State, which includes conclusions and recommendations to enhance and improve safety.

 

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