Background

A Management System is a set of interrelated or interacting elements (system) for establishing policies and objectives and enabling the objectives to be achieved in an efficient and effective way. Depending on the nature of the organization, different requirements are to be fulfilled. For an organization in the nuclear industry the requirements are coming from different codes, standards and regulations.

To come up with all the requirements, the organization integrates all elements into one coherent system to enable all of its objectives to be achieved. These elements include the structure, resources, processes, personnel, equipment, the organizational culture as well as documented policies and processes as parts of the Management System. A Management System may integrate Nuclear Safety, Quality, Occupational Health and Safety, Environmental, Security and economic requirements.

To assist Member States the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) developed a set of Safety Standards that establishes requirements and provides guidance for applying an Integrated Management System for facilities and activities. The main objective of the Management System requirements is that all safety, health, environmental, security, quality and economical elements are combined in one Integrated Management System in order to assure that safety is not compromised by considering the implications of all actions with regard to safety as a whole and not in separate Management Systems.

The management system is established by the senior management in order to steer the organization to ensure that safety has the overriding priority in the operation of nuclear facilities and activities through-out their life time. The requirements in the management system must be met to ensure the protection of people and the environment and they are governed by the objectives, concepts and principles of the IAEA Safety Fundamentals publication.

Latest developments

The IAEA has published various updates on the Management Systems for Safety Management, and is developing further specific guiding documents on management systems in specific areas of the nuclear industry. FORATOM has supported the IAEA in developing their management systems documents.

The present set of Safety Standards for Management Systems gives clear recommendation and guidance for management systems for facilities and activities and comprises the various phases of a nuclear facility, including construction, commissioning, operation and decommissioning.

Safety measures and security measures have in common the aim of protecting human life and health and the environment. The safety principles concern the security of facilities and activities to the extent that they apply to measures that contribute to both safety and security.

In 2008 the IAEA introduced a new, long-term structure for the safety standards. This structure is such that users may easily identify those safety standards that are applicable to the specific facility or activity they are dealing with.

The Safety Fundamentals (SF-1), the General Safety Requirements (GSR) in seven parts and the General Safety Guides (GSG) are applicable to all facilities and activities. These are complemented by Specific Safety Requirements (SSR) and Specific Safety Guides (SSG), which are applicable to specified facilities and activities.

The IAEA is currently involved in a preliminary revision process for the GS-R-3 standard which relates directly to management system.

FORATOM Management System Task Force  

The FORATOM Management System Task Force:

1. Acts as an expert group on management system concepts, implementation and operation for the nuclear industry,
2. Encourages the development and application of high level management systems promoting a healthy safety culture.
3. Leads the discussion and cooperate with international organizations and associations in the area of Management Systems for nuclear facilities, comment the standards and clarify the terminology and concepts.
4. Exchanges information between members of the group and share conclusions with respective managers in parent companies.