Our Strategic Goals
The Board has identified four strategic safety goals that are interdependent strategic areas of concentration, and a fifth goal (Management Excellence) that supports the others:
- Strategic Goal # 1: Safe Nuclear Weapons Operations
- Strategic Goal # 2: Safe Processing and Stabilization of Nuclear Material
- Strategic Goal # 3: Safety in Nuclear Facilities Design and Infrastructure
- Strategic Goal # 4: Effective Nuclear Safety Programs and Analysis
- Strategic Goal # 5: Management Excellence
Strategic Initiatives Designed to Meet Strategic Goals
The Board's strategy is to achieve the five goals above by focusing on the following strategic initiatives. These initiatives are designed to drive DOE to create the culture necessary to achieve adequate protection of public health and safety in its defense nuclear facilities.
Safety in Design
The Board calls for early identification and resolution of safety requirements and issues for new defense nuclear facilities. This will ensure adequate protection of public health and safety and aid in completing projects on time and within budget.
Integrated Safety Management
The Board calls for renewed commitment to and rigorous implementation of Integrated Safety Management (ISM) principles for all operations conducted within defense nuclear facilities.
Technical Competence
The Board calls for the acquisition, training, and qualification of a workforce that is technically competent to manage and operate the defense nuclear facilities safely. This includes, in particular, key federal oversight positions such as facility representatives and safety system oversight personnel.
Nuclear Safety Research and Development (R&D)
The Board calls upon DOE to develop a robust nuclear safety R&D program to determine effective and efficient methods and technologies to protect public health and safety.
Standards
The Board calls for DOE to properly document, maintain, and implement safety requirements within the DOE Directives System. The Board will particularly emphasize this as DOE implements a major restructuring and reissue of its Directives System.
Formality of Operations
The Board calls for DOE to institute formal conduct of operations principles and formal conduct of engineering principles across all of its defense nuclear facilities to ensure that deliberate and considered actions are taken in all circumstances that could pose a hazard to public health and safety.
The Board uses all of the legislative authorities at its disposal while executing these initiatives. The Board prefers to resolve safety concerns and issues at the lowest level possible, but will elevate concerns and issues as necessary. To accomplish this, the Board utilizes letters, reports, public hearings, and formal Recommendations to advise the Secretary of Energy and the DOE staff of its findings and concerns.