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Safety Culture

On this page:

• Introduction
• What Is Safety Culture?
• What Is Safety Conscious Work Environment?
• Related Documents
• Internal Safety Culture
• Public Meetings and Materials
• Historical Documentation:
• 2005- Safety Culture Public Meetings and Materials
• 2006- Safety Culture Public Meetings and Materials
• 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." SECY-09-0075, "Safety Culture Policy Statement," dated May 18, 2008, provides staff's response to the SRM. The SECY includes a draft Safety Culture policy statement in Enclosure 1. In response to SECY-09-0075, the Commission issued SRM (SECY-09-0075) on October 16, 2009, that provided additional guidance to the staff in development of the Safety Culture policy statement. As part of this guidance and based on SRM (SECY-09-0075), the staff issued the Safety Culture policy statement (http://www.regulations.gov/search/Regs/home.html#docketDetail?R=NRC-2009-0485) on November 6, 2009, for public comment; comments are due by March 1, 2010. To learn more about safety culture, please view the following summary (ADAMS Number ML093270327).

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."

Internal Safety Culture

The NRC Internal Safety Culture Task Force was chartered in October 2008 in response to Commission direction, SRM-M080317B, to provide a report outlining potential initiatives that could improve the agency’s internal safety culture. 

Based on the results from a range of data collection activities and the experience and knowledge of its members, the Task Force developed a set of recommendations.  These recommendations, which are under implementation, aim to create effective and lasting improvements for supporting a strong safety culture. 

Related documents:

• SECY 09-0068 Report of the Task Force on Internal Safety Culture
• Internal Safety Culture Task Force Final Report
• Report Appendices

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:

• 2005 - Safety Culture Public Meetings and Materials
• 2006 - Safety Culture Public Meetings and Materials
• Training on Safety Culture and Changes to the ROP
  • Inspector Counterpart Meeting Training Presentation - 2006
  • Region IV Utility Group (RUG) Safety Culture Workshop -2006

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