CSN Nuclear safety

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Nuclear safety

Seguridad nuclear

The purpose of nuclear safety is to minimise the potential radiological risks of nuclear facilities arising from the handling and storage of nuclear substances or the use of nuclear energy to generate electricity, in both normal circumstances and when an event happens, to provide suitable protection for the workers, the public and the environment.

The Spanish Nuclear Safety Council (CSN), the only organisation responsible for this matter in Spain, sets the main principles, criteria and regulations for nuclear safety. Its regulatory activity covers all the phases in the lives of nuclear facilities – location, design, control and proper operation, and dismantling, including nuclear fuel cycle activities undertaken in Spain.

Nuclear safety regulations determine the siting, design, construction, operation and decommissioning of all nuclear facilities and are fundamentally based on the practical application of the principle of defence in depth. This consists of the introduction of a set of physical and administrative barriers against potential radiological risks. Nuclear safety regulation is also aimed at preventing incidents and mitigating their consequences, if they occur.

To achieve and maintain a suitable level of nuclear safety, the CSN also requires the licensees of the facilities to provide suitably qualified staff, an appropriate approach on security matters and the establishment of an effective safety culture. It also finances research into operational and safety matters.

All the rules and regulations for radiation protection and nuclear safety can be found at CSN > Regulation.