NEA Mandates and Structures


Working Group on Safety Culture (WGSC)

Chair(s): Nobuhiko BAN, Japan
Secretary:  Pascale BOURASSA
(pascale.bourassa@oecd-nea.org)
Vice-Chair(s): Kaisa KOSKINEN, Finland
Anne EDLAND, Sweden
Cornelia RYSER, Switzerland
Patricia HOLAHAN, United States
Member(s):All NEA member countries*
Russia (Suspended*)
*Russian Federation suspended pursuant to a decision of the OECD Council.
Full participant(s): European Commission
Under the NEA Statute
Participant(s): India
Observer(s)(International Organisation): International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)
By agreement
Date of creation:06 July 2017
End of mandate:31 December 2020

Mandate (Document reference):

  • Summary record of the 36th meeting of the Committee of Nuclear Regulatory Activities (CNRA) held on 5-6 December 2016 [NEA/SEN/NRA(2016)4]
  • Summary record of the 37th meeting of the Committee of Nuclear Regulatory Activities (CNRA) held on 29-30 May 2017 [NEA/SEN/NRA(2017)3]
  • Mandate of the Working Group on Safety Culture (WGSC) [NEA/SEN/NRA(2017)2]
  • 2017-2022 CNRA Operating Plan and Guidelines [NEA/CNRA/R(2017)5]
  • Participant Status of India in the CNRA and its subsidiary bodies: 2018 Update of the NEA Participation Plan [NEA/NE(2018)8] and official letter received from India on 15 October 2018 confirming its acceptance of Participant Status in the CNRA and its subsidiary bodies

Mandate (Document extract):

Extract from document NEA/CNRA/R(2017)5

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Scope

The scope of the WGSC is to foster discussion and exchanges, and consider various practical approaches to developing and sustaining a healthy safety culture within the wider interconnected system to ensure safety. The working group will further develop concepts from recent Green Booklets that focused on the characteristics and culture of an effective regulatory body, such as, but not limited to:

  • Considering behaviours and perceptions, which make up the culture of a regulatory body, as important to regulatory effectiveness;
  • Considering the effects caused by the interactions of the regulatory body within the wider interconnected system and how safety culture is affected by these interactions;
  • Considering national and historical contexts and their effect on how safety is supported through interactions across all levels and all areas of the organisation when developing and sustaining a healthy safety culture; and
  • Considering what regulatory programs, approaches and capabilities might be required to encourage enhanced safety culture in licensee organisations.

Objectives

The main objective of the WGSC is to provide a senior level regulatory forum for exchanging information and experiences and planning work to ensure that the safety culture of the regulatory body and wider interconnected system has a positive impact on safety. In order to accomplish this, future activities shall:

  • Aid in the development and maintenance of a healthy safety culture within regulatory bodies;
  • Develop practical implementation tools for developing a safety culture from shared activities, lessons learnt, reports, and the outcomes of periodic meetings;
  • Identify and capture best practices on how the safety culture of the regulator affects the regulated entity’s safety culture, and vice versa;
  • Promote the use of regulator safety culture programs and approaches that positively influence regulated entities safety; 
  • Establish a framework for engagement with other NEA bodies to discuss issues identified by the group that have cross-cutting interests; and
  • Compile the experiences and lessons learnt associated with the implementation of policies and strategies to support a healthy safety culture with a specific focus on the NEA documents The Characteristics of an Effective Nuclear Regulator (2014) and The Safety Culture of an Effective Nuclear Regulatory Body (2016) and make recommendations as appropriate.

Methods of Working

  • The WGSC membership shall be composed of senior level management representatives with policy-level responsibilities who are directly involved in key activities. Members may bring safety culture experts from their organisations to enrich the exchanges between the regulatory bodies.
  • Periodically, the WGSC will report to the Committee on Nuclear Regulatory Activities (CNRA) and assist the Committee with its work.
  • The WGSC will closely co-ordinate its work with other CNRA working groups, other NEA standing technical committees and international organisations such as the IAEA in order to apply the right expertise to the right issues and avoid duplicating efforts.
  • The group will report on the effectiveness of the practical tools developed.
  • The programme of work provides further descriptions of the development of strategic themes, practical tools and tasks that the WGSC will complete.

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