WPC Scope and Objectives

Nuclear Science

• Criticality safety handbooks, including the necessary technical support for review / update;

• Compilation and maintenance of databases and other compilations of experimental and calculated data;

• Experimental basis of criticality safety, including critical / sub-critical / super-critical experiments and their analysis;

• Computer code development, data validation and benchmarking.

Safety Methodology

• Review of national and international standards of relevance to criticality safety, including the co-ordination of suitable UK input during their development / implementation;

• Review of other international activities of relevance to criticality safety (e.g. conferences and handbooks), including the co-ordination of suitable UK input during their development;

• Development and review of criticality assessment methods / requirements (e.g. burn-up credit and ALARP);

• Basic criticality condition data and monitoring, including related topics (e.g. assay);

• Criticality consequence analysis.

Decommissioning

• Development of approach for packaging & long-term management / storage of ILW;

• Development of risk-informed decommissioning methodologies.

Emergency Arrangements

• Review, analysis and prevention of criticality accidents;

• Emergency planning arrangements;

• Review of CIDAS adequacy / omission criteria.

Professional Development

• Training of criticality assessors and operational staff, including development of competence standards and accreditation schemes.

Objectives

• 1. Provide a forum for the discussion and distribution of information of relevance to criticality safety in the UK, particularly the sharing and development of industry good practice;

  2. Disseminate regulatory issues of relevance to criticality safety and facilitate the development of a UK criticality community view on such matters (and response, where appropriate);

  3. Promote establishing UK databases and standards relevant to criticality safety;

  4. Guide, promote, co-ordinate and encourage co-operation on high priority activities of common interest to the UK criticality safety community, e.g. through identifying and establishing appropriate Working Groups and maintaining a ‘high priority issues’ list;

  5. Monitor progress and publish reports of the meetings of those Working Groups established by the Committee;

  6. Provide opportunities for the continued professional development of criticality safety personnel, e.g. through involvement in the Working Groups, attendance at appropriate Workshops or providing common industry training modules;

  7. Co-ordinate work with other organisations to avoid overlap of activities (e.g. the Shielding Forum);

  8. Promote international collaboration in the field of criticality safety, e.g. by establishing co-operative arrangements with criticality professionals and bodies in other countries.

  9. Identify to the Safety Directors Forum any strategic issues which may require their attention/review.