The IAEA Nuclear Security Series provides international consensus guidance on all aspects of nuclear security to support States as they work to fulfil their responsibility for nuclear security. The IAEA establishes and maintains this guidance as part of its central role in providing nuclear security related international support and coordination. The IAEA Nuclear Security Series was launched in…
Launching a nuclear power programme is the sovereign decision of a country and constitutes a major undertaking requiring careful planning, preparation and investment in time, institutions, financing and human resources. The IAEA has developed a three phase methodology to support the development of the national infrastructure required for a nuclear power programme in a Member State. Known as …
Research reactors are powerful tools that contribute to scientific and technological progress worldwide. They are used for research and development in a wide variety of fields, in capacity building in nuclear science and technology, to produce radioisotopes crucial for medical and industrial applications, to support the development of national nuclear infrastructure, and in many other research …
The marine environment, as a global sink of persistent chemical mixtures, needs to be regularly monitored to assess the status of pollution and its impact on different marine compartments. Policy makers need access to reliable, accurate and comparable analytical data to enable sound management of the marine environment. Among the goals of the IAEA Marine Environmental Laboratories is to assi…
The 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami damaged the Madras Atomic Power Station in India and led to a new understanding of the importance of flooding hazards caused by tsunamis at nuclear power plant sites. The Great East Japan Earthquake and subsequent tsunami in 2011, which heavily damaged the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, re-emphasized the importance of tsunami hazard assessments. Recognizing…
The response of a nuclear installation’s structure during an earthquake depends on the characteristics of the ground motion, the surrounding soil and the structure itself. Soil– structure interaction (SSI) analysis is used to evaluate the effects of seismic ground motion on an installation’s structure, system and components, to ensure it is designed to withstand the effects of earthquakes…
The global nuclear safety and security framework (GNSSF) provides a conceptual structure and guidelines for achieving and maintaining a high level of safety and security at nuclear facilities and in nuclear related activities around the world. Technical and scientific support organizations (TSOs) play an essential role in sustaining the GNSSF by providing assistance to regulatory bodies in esta…
Models are essential tools in evaluating radiological impacts within the safety assessment process and regulatory control of facilities as well as of activities in planned exposure situations, existing exposure situations and emergency exposure situations. Modelling the transfer of radionuclides in the environment and assessing the resulting radiation exposure of people and the environment is n…
This Safety Guide provides recommendations on how to comply with IAEA safety requirements on leadership and management for safety in the area of radioactive waste management. It presents updated guidance on developing and implementing management systems for safety during all steps of radioactive waste management. Emphasis is placed upon effective leadership and culture for safety. The publicati…
The IAEA’s Statute authorizes it to “establish…standards of safety for protection of health and minimization of danger to life and property”. These are standards that the IAEA must apply to its own operations, and that States can apply through their national regulations. Radioactivity is a natural phenomenon and natural sources of radiation are features of the environment. Radiation…