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Nuclear Safety Regulation
Major objectives of the nuclear safety regulation are licensing, inspection and enforcement.
In the Japanese nuclear safety regulation, a two-step approach is taken to start construction of a nuclear power plant, ie. permit for reactor establishment and approval of construction plan. The electric utility cannot start construction of the nuclear power plant until the construction plan is approved by the competent authority. In the reactor establishment permit process, safety review of the basic design of the plant is conducted. After reactor establishment is permitted, structural integrity and construction methods are reviwed during construction plan review process.
Before starting operation of the plant, various inspections are conducted by the Government and its associated organization, JNES, during construction.
This is called "pre-service inspection." Before receiving fuel at the site, the utility must submit a fitness-for-safety program to assure health and safety of the public. The utility cannot start operation of the plant until the fitness-for-safety program is approved by the authority. After the performance of the plant is confirmed through commissioning tests and the performance test results are admitted as satisfactory by the authority, the utility can start commercial operation. As the Japanese regulatory practices, the authority does not issue an operating license. Admission of the performance test results is considered that an operating license was issued.
The Japanese nuclear safety regulation for nuclear power stations and nuclear emergency preparedness and response are described in detail in the following documents:
Safety Evaluations for Safety Review
The basic design principles and the basic design of a nuclear reactor are reviewed during the establishment permit process. The Act for the Regulation of Nuclear Source Material, Nuclear Fuel Material and Reactors (so called the Reactor Regulation Act) stipulates that a person who intends to construct a nuclear power reactor facility shall obtain permission from the Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry. This process is called "establishment permit." When constructing a reactor, the electric utility submits an application for establishment permit to the Minister. The establishment of the nuclear power reactor facility is permitted when the application is judged conforming to permission criteria. In the establishment permit process, the authority reviews the safety design and safety analyses of the plant. This process is called "safety review." Safety review is conducted based on the review guides issued by the Nucelar Safety Commission.
What aspects are dealt with in the establishment permit application and how the authority reviews the application are shown in detail in the following documents:
Safety Review Guides
The Nuclear Safety Commission provides guides to be used for reviewing the basic design of the nuclear power plants. Some of the important review guides and a guide for dose objectives are provisionally translated into English by JNES.
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Rev.
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Date Updated
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R0-r1
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March 30,2012
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R0-r0
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March 15,2011
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1. Guides
1.1 Guides Concerning Light Water Nuclear Power Reactor Facilities Etc
1.2 Guides Concerning Test and Research Reactors, Fast Breeder
Reactors, Advance Thermal Reactors, Nuclear Ships, Etc.
1.3 Guides Concerning Nuclear Fuel Cycle Facilities
1.4 Guides Concerning Technical Capability
2. Reports of Special Committees, Etc.
2.1 Reports of the Special Committee on Safety Standards of Reactors
2.2 Reports of the Special Committee on the Safety Standards of
Nuclear Fuel
2.3 Reports of the Special Committee for Radioactive Waste
Safety regulation
2.4 By-Law of the Committee on Review of Reactor Safety
2.5 Guides Concerning Emergency Preparedness and Environment
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Rev.
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Date Updated
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R0-r0
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March 15,2011
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1. Basic principle
1.1 Siting conditions in principle
1.2 Basic objective
2. Guide for siting review
2.1 The area around the reactor of a certain distance from the reactor
must be an exclusion area.
2.2 The zone outside of the exclusion area as well as of a certain distance
from the reactor must be the low population zone (LPZ).
2.3 The reactor site must be a certain distance apart from
the highly populated area.
3. Applicability
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Rev.
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Date Updated
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R0-r2
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March 30,2012
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R0-r0
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March 15,2011
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1. Introduction
2. Position of this Guide and its scope of application
3. Definitions of Terms
4. General Requirements for Nuclear Reactor Facilities
5. Reactor and the Reactor Shutdown System
6. Reactor Cooling System
7. Reactor Containment
8. Safety Protection System
9. Control Room and Emergency Provisions
10. Instrumentation and Control Systems and Electrical Systems
11. Fuel Handling Systems
12. Radioactive Waste Treatment Systems
13. Radiation Control
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Rev.
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Date Updated
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R0-r0
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March 15,2011
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1. Objective
2. Position and scope of this Guide
3. Classification of importance of safety functions
4. Principles of classification application
5. Design considerations for structures,
systems and components with safety functions
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Rev.
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Date Updated
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R0-r0
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March 15,2011
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1. Introduction
2. Safety Design Evaluation
2.1 Objective of Safety Design Evaluation
2.2 Scope of Evaluation
2.3 Selection of Events for Evaluation
2.4 Criteria
2.5 Considerations in Analysis
3. Siting Evaluation
3.1 Objective of Siting Evaluation
3.2 Scope of Evaluation
3.3 Selection of Events for Evaluation
3.4 Criteria
3.5 Considerations in Analysis
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Rev.
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Date Updated
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R0-r1
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March 26,2012
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R0-r0
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March 15,2011
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1. Safety Design Evaluation
1.1 Specific events to be evaluated
1.2 Analysis of anticipated operational occurrences
1.3 Analyses of accidents
2. Siting Evaluation
2.1 Specific events of the major accidents and hypothetical accident
2.2 Evaluation of the major accidents and hypothetical accident
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Rev.
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Date Updated
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R0-r0
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March 15,2011
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1. Evaluation of dose equivalent under the "accidents"
1.1 Evaluation of effective dose due to external exposure
1.2 Evaluation of effective dose due to internal exposure
2. Dose evaluation during the "major accidents" and "hypothetical accidents"
2.1 Evaluation of dose to the whole body
2.2 Evaluation of dose to the thyroid gland
2.3 Evaluation of cumulative value of dose to the whole body
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Rev.
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Date Updated
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R0-r0
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March 15,2011
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1. Dose Objective
2. Applicability of the Dose Objective
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Rev.
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Date Updated
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R0-r0
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March 15,2011
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I. Objectives
II. Meteorological Measurement Method
1. Purpose and Classification of Meteorological Measurement
2. Measurement Parameters
3. Measurement Method
4. Measurement Period
III. Statistical Processing Method of Measured Values
1. Hourly Meteorological Data
2. Statistical Processing of Meteorological Data
IV. Basic Dispersion Equation
V. Analytical method of atmospheric dispersion during normal operation
1. Concentrations in the air on the ground surface to be used for dose calculation
2. Calculation of yearly average concentration
VI. Analytical method of atmospheric dispersion during a postulated accident
1. Relative concentration to be used for dose calculation
2. Calculation of relative concentration
VII. Effective height of a release source
VIII. Wind tunnel test
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Technical Topics
Important technical topics are discussed at this site. Topics are selected from operating and decommissioning phases.
<For Operating Phase>
<For Decommissioning Phase>
Basic Knowledge on LWRs
At this site, you can find brief explanations on light water reactors (LWRs), principles of LWR safety design, and basic aspects that people from the emerging nuclear power countries should know to utilize nuclear energy for peaceful purposes.
Examination Selection
You can find examination list. Click the title of the topic. Three questions will be displayed. The combination of questions is different every time you visit.
Examinations
Put an alphabetic answer that you think correct in the answer box. The combination of questions is different every time you visit.
Documents
Nuclear Safety Regulation
Safety Evaluations for Safety Review
Safety Review Guides
Technical Topics
Basic Knowledge on LWRs
Relevant Links
The site provides you with a list of URLs which give you useful information on a) nuclear safety regulatory agency, b) education and training, c) innovative new plant designs, and d) basic knowledge.
a) Nuclear Safety Regulatory Agency
b) Education and training
c) Innovative new plant designs
d) Knowledge on nuclear basics
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