Annual Report
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Annual Report 2007 Contents Organization ........................................................................................................................................................................ 2 Foreword by the Director General ............................................ 2 Standing advisory group meetings in 2007 ........................... 10 Interview with the Deputy Director General in charge Organization chart ................................................................. 11 of defense-related missions .................................................... 4 Board of Directors .................................................................. 12 A short description of IRSN ..................................................... 5 The Steering Committee for the Nuclear Defense Expertise IRSN Missions .......................................................................... 6 Division ................................................................................... 14 Activity 2007 key figures......................................................... 7 The Scientific Council ............................................................. 15 Key events 2007 ...................................................................... 8 Report and outlook .................................................................................................................................................. 16 Introduction ............................................................................ 18 the information, expertise, and studies they require ............. 24 LINE 1: Re-engineer the research process .............................. 20 LINE 4: Be a driving force on the European and LINE 2: Optimize technical support for public authorities .... 22 international scene ................................................................. 26 LINE 3: Provide other socio-economic players with Training .................................................................................... 28 IRSN activities ................................................................................................................................................................ 30 CHALLENGE 1: SAFETY AT EXISTING FaciliTIES ............... 32 CHALLENGE 4: SAFETY OF FaciliTIES AND Monitoring facilities ............................................................... 32 NUCLEAR MATERIALS ........................................................... 60 Fuel safety .............................................................................. 36 Protection and inspection of nuclear and Fires ........................................................................................ 37 sensitive materials .................................................................. 60 Naturally-occurring hazards ................................................... 40 Protection against malicious acts ...........................................63 Severe accidents ..................................................................... 41 About defense ........................................................................ 45 CHALLENGE 5: EMERGENCY RESPONSE ............................. 66 National policy ....................................................................... 66 CHALLENGE 2: CONDUCTING ASSESSMENTS Consolidation of emergency response organization .............. 67 ON FUTURE FaciliTIES ........................................................ 48 Improving tools ...................................................................... 68 Future reactors ....................................................................... 48 About defense ........................................................................ 69 Deep radioactive waste repository ......................................... 49 CHALLENGE 6: EFFECTS OF chronic EXPOSURE ............ 70 CHALLENGE 3: ENVironMENTAL AND POPULATION ENVIRHOM program .............................................................. 70 EXPOSURE ............................................................................. 52 Chronic risks ........................................................................... 71 Environmental exposure ......................................................... 52 Transfer and behavior of radioactive substances CHALLENGE 7: ProTECTION IN THE MEDical FIELD ....... 74 in the environment ................................................................. 54 Radiopathology ...................................................................... 74 Studies on site environments ................................................. 55 Expertise in the medical field ................................................. 75 Radiation protection of workers ............................................. 57 Ensuring efficiency ................................................................................................................................................... 76 Quality ................................................................................... 78 Human resources .................................................................... 82 College of experts ................................................................... 79 Communication ...................................................................... 84 Scientific and technical excellence ......................................... 80 Safety and environment ......................................................... 87 Glossary .................................................................................................................................................................................. 88 Financial Report at the back of the report IRSN site details (on the flap) Organization IRSN’S EXPERTISE in nuclear safety recognized in France, Europe, and around the world. The year 2007 closed the first five-year cycle in the lifetime of the Institute, the term of office defined for members of the Board of Directors. These five years have been marked by the noticeable effort, definitely noticed, made by all our employees to establish the Institute as an independent public enterprise, while producing the required scientific and technical results daily, especially in their expert assessments. I wish to extend my thanks and recognition to all our staff for their dedication to our public mission and the drive they have demonstrated in an exceptionally complex regulatory and administrative context. Jacques REPUSSARD. Beyond the functional operations implemented through IRSN’s various units and processes, this period is best characterized by the definition of a vast corporate project supported by stead- fast commitment. This project is founded in the political vision emanating from work in Parliament, a vision that forged the initial decision to create the Institute and inspired the definition of its missions, as well as the strategic orientations validated A scientific institution in 2006 when the first Contract of Objectives was concluded recognized for what it is: with the government. France’s public expert on nuclear and radiation risks The corporate project has gradually taken shape through constructive dialogue with our employees, built on the basis of shared values, and through the development of active par- tnerships with major participants in nuclear safety, including nuclear authorities, operators, Local Information Commissions, as well as major foreign partners, the European Commission, and international agencies such as the IAEA and OECD/NEA, as defined by the law of July 2006 concerning nuclear trans- parency and safety. This project has also succeeded in building a positive image of IRSN in the media and throughout society at large, not as a “trademark”, but as a scientific institution recognized for what it is: France’s public expert on nuclear and radiation risks, whose 2 I IRSN ANNUAL REPORT 2007 ION T high-quality assessments are perceived as a major component demand, working with other organizations in scientific and tech- ORGANIZA in the credibility of the nation’s nuclear safety system. For the nical support networks that TSOs are endeavoring to establish, Institute’s customers and partners, this quality is demonstra- with support from the IAEA. These activities will naturally be ted not only in the service provided, but also through the ISO financed essentially by the entities requesting our services, but 9001 certification awarded in 2007, and the broad internatio- the rapid growth expected implies that IRSN must promote new nal renown achieved by IRSN. Taking this policy even further, senior consultants from within its own ranks. A realistic outlook, the Institute has engaged in a constant effort to open up to this approach nonetheless implies that IRSN must remain an society. This has materialized in a rapidly growing supply of attractive choice in the persistently competitive job market for useful information provided to the public via the Internet, as scientists and engineers in the nuclear sector. well as greater transparency in working procedures and their results. Fostering openness has led us to develop professional K exchanges with experts from civil society, especially in work Finally, rapidly changing nuclear technology and society’s conco- OO accomplished through Local Information Commissions and their mitant demand for the best available techniques to ensure risk federation, the ANCLI. prevention and manage the consequences of accidents obli- UTL ges IRSN to pursue its considerable achievements in research,