IAEA seminar on regulating infrastructure self-evaluation in Minsk on 9-11 March

Specialists of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) will arrange an educational seminar in Minsk on 9-11 March for representatives of the Emergencies Ministry and the ministries involved in regulating nuclear and radiation safety, BelTA learned from Oleg Sobolev, Head of the Communications and Public Information Office of the Nuclear and Radiation Safety Department of the Belarusian Emergencies Ministry.

The official remarked that the Department had started preparing to welcome the IAEA’s Integrated Regulatory Review Service (IRRS) mission that will arrive in autumn 2016. Before the mission arrives, the host country will have to carry out a so-called self-evaluation. With this in mind the IAEA has developed a special software product that combines over 3,000 questions. “IAEA specialists will spend several days telling us how to work with this English-language piece of software,” specified Oleg Sobolev. Once the software is mastered, the Nuclear and Radiation Safety Department of the Belarusian Emergencies Ministry will get down to the self-evaluation process.

BelTA reported earlier that Belarus has requested the IAEA’s Integrated Regulatory Review Service to visit the country and the request has been granted. The invitation was passed in March 2014 as part of the procedure to defend Belarus’ national report regarding the fulfillment of the Convention on Nuclear Safety. IRRS experts will stay in Belarus for several weeks to study regulatory aspects of the efforts meant to ensure radiation and nuclear safety taking into account the construction of the nuclear power plant, including legislation, licensing procedures, oversight and many other things. Major preparations will precede the mission.

The IAEA’s Integrated Nuclear Infrastructure Review (INIR) mission worked in Belarus in 2012 to evaluate the readiness of the infrastructure for building the nuclear power plant. The IRRS mission’s scope will be narrower, however, Belarus expects more concrete requirements and recommendations from the mission.