PSA Knowledge Transfer

The maintenance of sufficient expertise, data, analytical and experimental capabilities to be able to develop the technical basis to resolve currently identified safety issues and respond to and investigate safety issues that may be identified in the future is a key challenge. In response to this issue, and based on needs expressed by a number of member countries, the Working Group on Risk Assessment (WGRISK) initiated a “PSA Knowledge Transfer” task in the fall of 2009.

The main objective of the task was to develop an understanding of the current needs and ongoing activities of the member countries on probabilistic safety assessment (PSA) knowledge transfer, including other ongoing international activities in this technical area. This task addresses various topics relevant to member countries’ activities affecting the transfer of knowledge on PSA, including: organisational activities and the respective priorities, management of human resources, training and qualification programmes, existing PSA guidance and standards as well as best practices, and information management and technology. Additionally, the task was intended to support the dissemination of lessons learned and best practices, and help identify follow-on activities (e.g. knowledge transfer seminars on specified topics) that could be performed to efficiently and effectively preserve current PSA expertise.