Nuclear safety

The term "nuclear safety" includes three different meanings, each representing a distinct area and indicated in English with the terms safety, security and safeguards. These concepts cover different aspects of protection in the nuclear field and together contribute to a comprehensive approach to nuclear safety.

Nuclear safety in the sense of safety is the set of all engineering and management measures that must be adopted in nuclear plants, from the construction phase to the decommissioning phase, in order to prevent any accidents and mitigate their consequences. In the case of Italy, where the nuclear plants were definitively shut down following the 1987 referendum, this refers to nuclear plants in decommissioning, including the radioactive waste and spent fuel repositories, and to research reactors currently in operation.

These are, in particular, the decommissioning nuclear power plants of Garigliano, Latina, Trino and Caorso, and the EUREX fuel cycle plants in Saluggia, ITREC in Trisaia, which were previously used as experimental plants for fuel reprocessing, and the Bosco Marengo nuclear fuel fabrication plant. The research reactors currently in operation are the TAPIRO and TRIGA reactors of ENEA, at the Casaccia centre in Rome, the TRIGA MKII reactor and the SM1 subcritical reactor of the University of Pavia and the AGN 201 reactor of the University of Palermo. Furthermore, the Ispra 1 reactor and the ESSOR reactor of the Joint Research Centre of Ispra (VA) and the L54M reactor of the University of Milan have not been operational for many years and are destined for decommissioning.

In relation to nuclear safety, ISIN carries out its controls at a preventive level, in the authorization phase and, subsequently, during the construction and operation phases or, in the case of decommissioning operations, during their execution, through specific supervisory activities.

The Inspectorate is also entrusted with the tasks of controlling nuclear materials (safeguards) and, pursuant to Law no. 58/2015, the passive physical protection of nuclear plants and materials, i.e. the provisions put in place to prevent and counter any illicit acts aimed at the misappropriation of nuclear materials or sabotage (security).

In terms of nuclear safety, ISIN takes care of the preparation of the national reports required by the Convention on Nuclear Safety, ratified by Italy with Law no. 10 of 19 January 1998, participating in the periodic review conferences required by the Convention itself. ISIN also provides for the preparation of the periodic national report on the implementation of Directives 2009/71/EURATOM and 2014/87/EURATOM establishing a Community framework on the nuclear safety of nuclear installations.

The Inspectorate has always participated in international cooperation initiatives aimed at improving the safety level of nuclear installations in operation, such as the "Stress Tests", conducted in Europe after Fukushima, and the Topical Peer Review (TPR) on the management of the aging of nuclear installations.

It also promotes bilateral collaboration initiatives on nuclear safety with foreign counterparts, in particular with neighboring countries where nuclear installations are in operation (for example, the agreements stipulated with the Nuclear Safety Authorities of France, Slovenia, Switzerland) and the agreement with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission of the United States.

Finally, it promotes the maintenance, development and enhancement of skills in nuclear safety matters also through specific initiatives of studies, evaluations, research, collection and dissemination of data and information on topics of interest.