REGDOC-3.6, Glossary of CNSC Terminology - Glossary - W

See World Association of Nuclear Operators.

A safety and control area (SCA) that covers internal waste-related programs that form part of the facility’s operations up to the point where the waste is removed from the facility to a separate waste management facility. This area also covers the planning for decommissioning. This SCA is one of the 14 within the CNSC SCA Framework.

A system for collecting, transporting, receiving, treating, processing, storing or disposing of the wastes that are produced as a result of the licensed activity at a uranium mine or mill. (Source: Uranium Mines and Mills Regulations )

Note: More generally, all licensed nuclear facilities (not only uranium mines and mills) have waste management systems.

Activities in relation to waste nuclear substances that are not located at a Class I or a Class II nuclear facility or at a mine or mill. (Source: Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission Cost Recovery Fees Regulations )

Rock that does not contain any minerals in sufficient concentration to be considered ore, but which must be removed in the mining process to provide access to the ore. Waste rock includes both mineralized and clean waste rock.

Canadian fisheries waters. (Source: Fisheries Act)

Anything that could be used or is capable of being used to jeopardize the security of a nuclear facility or a nuclear substance or anything, including firearms, that is used, designed to be used or intended for use in causing death or injury to any person or for the purpose of threatening or intimidating any person. (Source: Nuclear Security Regulations )

The numeric label and the element or isotope weight of an item or batch of nuclear material. This definition applies to nuclear material accounting.

A large pool of water where radioactive material (mainly fuel discharged from a nuclear reactor) is cooled and shielded until it is safe to remove to dry storage. Also called fuel bay; irradiated fuel bay; spent fuel bay; storage bay; storage pool; used fuel pool.

Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System

An indirect form of contamination monitoring that involves wiping a suspect surface and measuring the nuclear substances collected on the wipe sample.

See working level.

See working level month.

A person who performs work that is referred to in a licence. (Sources: General Nuclear Safety and Control Regulations ; Class I Nuclear Facilities Regulations ; Class II Nuclear Facilities and Prescribed Equipment Regulations ; Nuclear Substances and Radiation Devices Regulations ; Radiation Protection Regulations ; Uranium Mines and Mills Regulations )

Note: This definition applies to contractors and to subcontractors, as well as to workers directly employed by a licensee.

Means:

1. a person who is a member of the workers’ safety and health committee;
2. the workers’ safety and health representative;
3. where there is no person referred to in paragraph (a) or (b), the workers’ collective bargaining agent; or
4. where there is no person referred to in paragraph (a), (b) or (c), a worker.

(Source: Uranium Mines and Mills Regulations )

The concentration of radon progeny in 1 m³ of air that has a potential alpha energy of 2.08 x 10^‑5 J. (Source: Radiation Protection Regulations )

The exposure that results from the inhalation of air containing one working level for 170 hours. (Source:  Radiation Protection Regulations )

Note: This unit of measure is used to express the level of exposure to radon decay products.

With respect to Class II prescribed equipment or radiation devices, a parameter that characterizes the amount of use over a defined period and that is directly related to the resulting radiation doses received by persons occupying adjacent areas over that period. Workload is typically calculated in grays per year at some reference distance from the source of radiation, for a specified source location.

A logical grouping of relatively contiguous tasks aimed at achieving a particular step in the overall project. For example, in a decommissioning project, the removal of a specific facility component (including, as necessary, its decontamination, disassembly and delivery to a waste segregation area) could constitute a single work package.

Any area within a uranium mine or mill where a worker could reasonably be expected to be in the course of performing work. (Source: Uranium Mines and Mills Regulations )

Note: More generally, this term also applies to all licensed nuclear facilities.

An air sampler, consisting of a filter holder and vacuum pump, mounted in a working area to estimate breathing zone concentrations of radionuclides.

A non‑profit organization with the mission of maximizing the safety and reliability of nuclear power plants worldwide by working together with its members to assess, benchmark and improve performance through mutual support, exchange of information and emulation of best practice.

See work package.

See workplace air sampler.

See radiation weighting factor.

See tissue weighting factor.