The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) will host the International Conference on Human and Organizational Aspects of Assuring Nuclear Safety next week.
This conference will take place Feb. 22-26 at the agency’s headquarters in Vienna and will focus on safety culture in the international nuclear energy industry, its history and how it has developed through the years.
“What we’re seeing is that safety culture is a direct reflection of the organization’s culture and people’s attitudes who work in it,” Juan Carlos Lentijo, IAEA deputy director general and head of the agency's Department of Nuclear Safety and Security, said. “We know that strong organizations with strong safety cultures benefit everyone: workers -- supervisors, senior managers — including the organization itself.”
The IAEA said historical events such as the disasters at the Chernobyl plant in Ukraine and the Fukushima Daiichi plant in Japan spotlighted important factors that need to be maintained for nuclear energy to be safely utilized. These include the maintenance of design configuration, the cultural importance of safe practices, and the potential impacts that technological, human and organizational interactions can have on the industry.
The IAEA expects that approximately 350 participants will attend this event. Several panel discussions will be held regarding multiple aspects of safety in nuclear science and energy generation.
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