WANO conducts a record number of member support missions in 2017

The World Association of Nuclear Operators (WANO), the world’s leading safety organisation for commercial nuclear power plants, has published new figures that reveal it delivered 246 member support missions to its members in 2017.

The figures show that there has been an increase of 15% in the number of missions conducted in 2017, when compared to the previous year. Member support missions are carried out at the request of a member plant or utility. They provide a means for WANO members to assist each other in improving safety or reliability at an individual member’s plant. A team of peers is selected for a member support mission from WANO’s membership on the basis of their expertise in the applicable area. The team then visits the member plant to review issues either identified during the peer review, or by the plant itself, and then works closely with the member to close the gap to excellent performance.  

Throughout 2017, WANO’s missions addressed a wide range of topics, such as work management, human performance, equipment reliability, radiation protection, operations, outage management and organisational effectiveness.

Peter Prozesky, Chief Executive Officer at WANO, stated: “The solid growth in demand from our members for our member support missions is great news. At WANO, we actively encourage a collaborative environment, where our members can share information, learn best practices and obtain feedback to facilitate continuous learning and improvement. This growing use of our service reflects the commitment of the global nuclear industry to achieving excellence in safety and reliability. It’s a welcome endorsement of this programme and indicates we are on the right path with our service provision.”

WANO has commenced another major new member support initiative over the last twelve months. The organisation started a project to develop ‘new unit assistance’ modules to support new units and entrants into the nuclear industry. The service is being developed in recognition of the ongoing expansion of nuclear power plants in many regions of the world. It is important that new entrants and units join WANO before construction begins on the site, and as soon as the contract for main works on a new unit is signed. This will give enough time for the operator to ensure staff are fully trained and to ensure the entire operational function meets the necessary safety and reliability standards - in time to safely and effectively begin its operational life.
 

WANO is focusing member support missions to help members resolve areas for improvement (AFIs) identified during peer reviews. A target of 60% of technical missions are focused on resolving peer review AFIs, in order to focus mission resources on issues with the most relevance to safety and reliability. The average performance for this target across all WANO was 72% for operating units in 2017.
 

ENDS-

Notes to Editors
The World Association of Nuclear Operators (WANO) is a not-for-profit international organisation that helps its members maximise the safety and reliability of nuclear power plants worldwide. WANO was established in 1989 by the world's nuclear power operators to exchange safety knowledge and operating experience amongst organisations operating commercial nuclear power reactors. WANO’s members operate some 460 nuclear units in over 30 countries and areas worldwide. WANO works with its membership to assess, benchmark and improve performance through mutual support, exchange of information and emulation of best practices.