How useful is setting safety goals?

Risk Anal. 2024 May 15. doi: 10.1111/risa.14320. Online ahead of print.

Abstract

The study explores the multifaceted role of safety goals in fostering a risk-informed culture, reflecting the global experience within the nuclear safety domain. Analysis of the phases of transition evoked by establishing and applying safety goals sheds light on the need for epistemic, reflexive, and practical transitions for better management of nuclear safety. This pivotal role of safety goals underscores the importance of recognizing them not as ready-to-use turnkey products but as catalysts for stakeholder dialog, reassessment of existing safety paradigms, and regulatory framework refinement. Finally, this study explores the challenges associated with standardizing safety goals globally and navigating the transition process within the framework of transition management.

Keywords: nuclear safety; probabilistic risk assessment; risk‐informed culture; safety goals; transition.