Key principles of the nuclear safety charter

Prime responsibility of the operator

Clearly defined responsibilities

A system of responsibility is clearly defined at every level of the organization and echoes the operating line organization. It includes specific aspects of national legislation.

Each manager of a nuclear subsidiary agrees, as regards the Executive Board, to:

• implement the provisions of the Nuclear Safety Charter, in line with AREVA’s Values Charter, in all entities (sites and subsidiaries) for which he/she is responsible;
• report to the Board on measures taken to that effect.

Each site director is responsible for nuclear safety and radiation protection at his/her site. Delegations of authority are clear. They echo the line organization and are carried out at every level, within the limits of the authority assigned.

The organization set up is capable of meeting legal and regulatory requirements in the fields of nuclear safety, radiation protection and transportation safety.

Internal controls are exercised at two levels. They are carried out by competent personnel who are independent of the operating organization:

• “first level” controls, carried out on behalf of the entity director, are primarily oriented towards verifying that safety criteria and delegations of authority are correctly applied;
• “second level” controls, carried out by safety inspectors appointed by the Executive Board, ensure that the Nuclear Safety Charter is applied and serve to detect warning signs of a potential failure in nuclear safety performance. They lead to recommendations for corrective actions and improvements. They give top management a group-wide view of nuclear safety, and are used to delve further into certain issues and to prevent deviations.

Crisis situations are managed by delegating authority to the line organization so that operations may be carried out more effectively and with greater responsiveness close to the field. This principle echoes provisions outlined by the government of each country in which AREVA operates.

Crisis management drills are regularly held to train personnel. They also provide a wealth of experience concerning the organization, skills improvement, communications and stakeholder involvement that are used to ensure that potential failures or exceptional events are managed with the highest level of expertise.

Defense in depth, an underlying concept

Nuclear facility safety is based on the underlying principle of defense-in-depth. This involves setting up multiple levels of protection. Risk analyses are carried out to determine the levels of protection needed. Protection consists of specific technical features, an organization, procedures, operating procedures and appropriate skills.

Risks are analyzed, in advance, for any industrial project, any proposed change in operations, and any modification to an existing facility.

Lessons learned are collected, analyzed and shared with all of the group's entities by the General Inspectorate's network of specialists.