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Background articles

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  • Background articles, Posts

    Unannounced inspections

    «I’m a site inspector for ENSI, responsible for the Beznau NPP. Every week I pay a control visit to the nuclear power plant without prior announcement. I’m interested in everything, including ladders that have fallen over and that you can trip over. Thanks to their training and experience, inspectors know what to look for. We…

    Domains/Sections, ENSI, Nuclear Facilities, Organisation
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  • Background articles, Posts

    A focus on upgrading

    «Nuclear power plants are periodically upgraded with modern technology, such as here in Beznau. Together with my section I check, in a multi-stage approval procedure, whether electrical and process control upgrades fulfil the legal requirements and can be implemented without reservation. Only then do we issue approval for operation. We do not allow ourselves to…

    Domains/Sections, ENSI, Nuclear Facilities, Organisation
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  • Background articles, Posts

    Strict requirements for deep geological repositories

    «I, together with other experts, oversee Nagra’s search for sites for deep geological repositories for radioactive waste. When making its proposals for sites Nagra has to adhere to the legal framework and our technical safety requirements. In order to ascertain whether these can be implemented and whether the proposals are in line with the state…

    Deep geological repositories, Deep Geological Repository Storage, ENSI, Waste Management
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  • Background articles, Posts

    Research means: taking a close look

    «Our current research projects, around 35 in number, deal with safety issues with a fascinating range of topics. They specifically support the independent oversight of ENSI. I see research as a catalyst. We want to answer open questions, including unpleasant ones. To do this we need to be alert for initiatives from all sides.»

    Domains/Sections, ENSI, Organisation, Research
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  • Background articles, Posts

    Expertise for the worst case scenario

    «In the event of a nuclear accident we would use our knowledge to protect the population. In the worst case scenario I would prepare computer-based forecasts on the spread of the radioactive cloud from my position in the protected room of the ENSI emergency organisation. In this way we could estimate the risk to the…

    Emergency Preparedness, ENSI, Precautions
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  • Background articles, Posts

    Exchange of information across borders

    «I do a lot of travelling for ENSI. On bilateral and international committees we discuss safety requirements and initiate measures to make them more stringent where necessary. The safety authorities cultivate a frank exchange of information. Swiss experts, for instance, support French colleagues during inspections of their nuclear power plants – and vice-versa. In this…

    Domains/Sections, ENSI, ENSI as an employer, Organisation
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  • Background articles, Posts

    Safety analyses: The latest methods

    «Nuclear power plants are among the most robust industrial constructions in Switzerland. We ensure that operators constantly question the safety of their installations, calculate any residual risk using the latest methods and constantly improve the resilience of the installations with targeted upgrading. ENSI’s requirements with regard to earthquake safety, for instance, are considered to be…

    ENSI, ENSI as an employer, Nuclear Facilities
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  • Background articles, Posts

    Dialogue strengthens safety culture

    «I work in an interdisciplinary team of psychologists and engineers. For me people are not sources of error, but a safety factor. Suitable organisational framework conditions are needed for this purpose. We review these as part of our supervisory work. With our activity we wish to trigger a dialogue in and with those responsible for…

    Domains/Sections, ENSI, ENSI as an employer, Human and organisational factors, Organisation
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  • Background articles, Posts

    Protecting people against radiation

    «Every radiological protection official knows that the harmful effect of small doses of radiation is not exactly known at present. People must therefore be rigorously protected against radioactivity. We carry out regular measurements at nuclear power plants and in the surrounding area, also without prior announcement. If we do our job to the best of…

    ENSI, ENSI as an employer, Radiation Protection, Radiation Protection in Nuclear Installations
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