 CPE6014: Safety in Nuclear Operation
The nuclear industry has a history dating back to the 1950s and its profile today is a reflection of this long historical legacy as well as the present day needs which are shaping its future.
This future is being strongly influenced by a background of rising energy costs and continued pressures to reduce carbon emissions from fossil fuels and new nuclear build is now part of the revised energy strategy in, for example the UK and USA.
The long lifetime of nuclear installations means that there is a constant demand for expertise in all aspects of nuclear operations from ore processing to spent fuel reprocessing, and each activity within the nuclear fuel cycle requires a disciplined approach to process safety. The safety record within the nuclear industry is already very good but the public expect higher levels of safety for nuclear compared with other hazardous processes associated with the chemical or oil and gas industries. The nuclear industry has responded to this greater demand and this is reflected in the steady need in all areas of the industry for those with the necessary safety training.
The module will aim to address safety issues which are specific to the nuclear industry and will approach these in a similar way to other modules on the course which are more concerned with chemicals/oil and gas. Five areas have been identified - reactor operations, safety case development, human factors, fuel production and spent fuel processing, and these topics will be presented by the experts from industry who work with these subjects on a daily basis.
Students should find that many of the concepts developed within the course will appear within this module but with direct application to the nuclear environment, which will both widen the applicability of the knowledge gained on the course and aim to meet some of the rising demand from the nuclear sector.
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