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Safety Culture

On this page:

• Introduction
• What Is Safety Culture?
• What Is Safety Conscious Work Environment?
• Related Documents
• Public Meetings and Materials
Historical Documentation:
• Public Meetings and Materials
• Final Inspection Manual Chapters and Inspection Procedures and Resolution of Stakeholder Comments Table
• Final Inspection Procedure 95003 and Resolution of Stakeholder Comments Table
• Training on Safety Culture and Changes to the ROP

Introduction

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) recognizes the importance of nuclear plant operators establishing and maintaining a strong safety culture -- a work environment where management and employees are dedicated to putting safety first. In a January 24, 1989 policy statement (Federal Register), the Commission described its expectations for such a safety culture and how it supports the agency’s mission to protect public health and safety.

Following an event at a nuclear power plant where the licensee determined that the causes that led to the event were indicative of a weak safety culture, NRC lessons learned pointed toward the need for additional NRC efforts to evaluate a licensee’s safety culture (SECY-04-0111 and Staff Requirements Memoranda (SRM), and SECY-05-0187 and SRM). As part of this effort, the NRC reviewed the agency’s Reactor Oversight Process (ROP) to determine how it can be enhanced to more fully address safety culture and engaged stakeholders through Public Meetings and through this Web page. The Commission issued SECY-06-0122, dated May 24, 2006, which describes the safety culture initiative activities and the outcomes of those activities, including the changes made to the ROP to more fully address safety culture. A Regulatory Issue Summary 2006-13, "Information on the Changes Made to the Reactor Oversight Process to More Fully Address Safety Culture," was issued on July 31, 2006 to provide information to nuclear power reactor licensees on the revised ROP.

In February, 2008, the Commissioners issued an SRM (COMGBJ-08-0001) "A Commission Policy Statement on Safety Culture."

What Is Safety Culture?

The Commission’s “Policy Statement on the Conduct of Nuclear Power Plant Operations,” Federal Register notice, January 24, 1989, refers to safety culture as “the necessary full attention to safety matters” and the “personal dedication and accountability of all individuals engaged in any activity which has a bearing on the safety of nuclear power plants. A strong safety culture is one that has a strong safety-first focus.”

The Commission has referenced the International Nuclear Safety Advisory Group's (INSAG) definition of safety culture as follows: “Safety Culture is that assembly of characteristics and attitudes in organizations and individuals which establishes that, as an overriding priority, nuclear plant safety issues receive the attention warranted by their significance.”

What Is Safety Conscious Work Environment (SCWE)?

The Commission’s policy statement “Freedom of Employees in the Nuclear Industry to Raise Safety Concerns Without Fear of Retaliation,” May 14, 1996, describes SCWE as "a work environment where employees are encouraged to raise safety concerns and where concerns are promptly reviewed, given the proper priority based on their potential safety significance, and appropriately resolved with timely feedback to the originator of the concerns and to other employees." SCWE is described as an attribute of safety culture in SECY-04-0111, “Recommended Staff Actions Regarding Agency Guidance in the Areas of Safety Conscious Work Environment and Safety Culture,” August 30, 2004. The NRC has developed Guidance for Establishing and Maintaining a Safety Conscious Work Environment.

Related Documents

• Regulatory Issue Summary 2006-13,"Information on the Changes Made to the Reactor Oversight Process to More Fully Address Safety Culture"

Public Meetings and Materials

The NRC holds public meetings to discuss agency activities related to safety culture initiatives. Handouts from the meetings are included below:

Historical Documentation:

Public Meetings and Materials

The NRC held public meetings to discuss agency activities related to safety culture initiatives. Handouts from the meetings are included below:

Final Inspection Manual Chapters and Inspection Procedures and Resolution of Stakeholder Comments Table

Final Inspection Procedure 95003

• IP 95003 - Supplemental Inspection for Repetitive Degraded Cornerstones, Multiple Degraded Cornerstones, Multiple Yellow Inputs, or One Red Input , October 26, 2006
  
  
• Resolution of Stakeholder Comments on Inspection Procedure 95003

Training on Safety Culture and Changes to the ROP

• Inspector Counterpart Meeting Training Presentation
  
  
• Region IV Utility Group (RUG) Safety Culture Workshop

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Friday, July 18, 2008