Experience in independent verification of safety analyses

Experience in independent verification of safety analyses

Please have a look also at the relevant IAEA requirements in IAEA GSR Part 4 (http://www-pub.iaea.org/MTCD/publications/PDF/Pub1375_web.pdf) – Requirement 21 and paragraphs 4.66 – 4.71. 
 See below the IAEA GSR Part 4 requirements on independent verification of safety analyses:

Requirement 21: Independent verification The operating organization shall carry out an independent verification of the safety assessment before it is used by the operating organization or submitted to the regulatory body.

* The operating organization is to carry out an independent verification to increase the level of confidence in the safety assessment before it is used by the operating organization or submitted to the regulatory body.

* The independent verification is performed by suitably qualified and experienced individuals or a group different from those who carried out the safety assessment. The aim of independent verification is to determine whether the safety assessment has been carried out in an acceptable way.

* The decisions made on the scope and level of detail of the independent verification have to be reviewed in the independent verification itself, to ensure that they are consistent with the graded approach and reflect the possible radiation risks associated with the facility or activity, and its maturity and complexity (see para. 3.4).

* The independent verification has to combine an overall review, to determine whether the safety assessment carried out is comprehensive, with spot checks in which a much more detailed review is carried out that focuses on those aspects of the safety assessment that have the highest impact on the radiation risks arising from the facility or activity. It also has to be considered in the independent verification whether there are any contributions to the radiation risks that have not been taken into account.

* It has to be determined in the independent verification whether the models and data used are accurate representations of the design and operation of the facility or the planning and conduct of the activity.

* In addition, the regulatory body has to carry out a separate independent verification to satisfy itself that the safety assessment is acceptable and to determine whether it provides an adequate demonstration of whether the legal and regulatory requirements are met. The verification by the regulatory body is not part of the operating organization’s process and is not to be used or claimed by the operating organization as part of its independent verification.
http://www-pub.iaea.org/MTCD/publications/PDF/Pub1375_web.pdf