Safety and control area series – Operating Performance
Safety and control areas
The Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) is responsible for evaluating how well licensees meet regulatory requirements and expectations. We consider the performance of programs in 14 different safety and control areas (SCAs). For the next several months, we will be publishing a series detailing each SCA and its significance for the CNSC and its licensees. This feature article will focus on the operating performance SCA. For a general overview of all SCAs and their functional areas, visit the CNSC’s safety and control areas Web page.
The operating performance SCA measures aspects of an organization’s core operations, with the focus on policies and procedures.
Licensed organizations, from mining, power production, and the use of nuclear substances to safe storage, must follow and maintain an operations program, which is a set of operating policies and procedures that, when implemented effectively, result in safe, controlled operations.
The organization is responsible for operating, maintaining and modifying systems to maximize safety and minimize any possible risk to the public, environment and equipment.
CNSC inspectors assess a variety of operational information to ensure the licensee’s plant is operating safely
CNSC-qualified inspectors use many techniques to gather and report on data to verify that licensees are meeting regulatory commitments. Evaluating operating performance includes gathering data specific to the overall conduct of the facility, such as operating procedures, reporting and trending incidents or events. CNSC staff regularly verify that a nuclear operation is safe and secure.
The CNSC is dedicated to continually evolving and adapting its compliance activities as the nuclear industry evolves with improved safety standards and the application of lessons learned.
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