A scientific and rational understanding of China's nuclear energy safety

Question 4: The Fourth Plenary Session of the 19th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China proposed to strengthen and promote the construction of the national governance system. What is the construction and capacity of China's nuclear security governance system?

Yang Bo: After decades of unremitting efforts, China has formed a sound and efficient nuclear security governance system.  With the continuous development of China's nuclear energy industry, China has gradually established a nuclear safety governance system dominated by legal norms, administrative supervision, enterprise entities, and industry self-discipline, and the nuclear safety defense line has become more solid.

China has established a set of international standards, in line with national conditions, a relatively complete system of nuclear safety laws and regulations, the People's Republic of China Nuclear Safety Law issued to further enhance China's nuclear safety supervision capabilities to provide legal guarantee; Under the great attention of the central government, the competent authorities of the national nuclear power industry, the competent authorities of the nuclear industry, and the nuclear safety regulatory authorities have gradually improved the various systems and measures for strict management and comprehensive supervision of the development of nuclear power, and a number of safety regulatory measures are systematic and efficient with Chinese characteristics, effectively ensuring the safe and orderly development of the nuclear energy industry. Nuclear energy enterprises have always placed nuclear safety in the highest position. By introducing and absorbing the world's advanced nuclear safety management experience, they have built an integrated nuclear safety management system with safety and quality as the core. They have focused on strengthening the training and assessment of key positions such as operators and the quality and safety management of contractors, and have continuously improved the effectiveness of safety management through various measures. The China Nuclear Energy Industry Association has actively established cooperative relations with international organizations such as the World Nuclear Power Operators Association, actively carried out nuclear power peer evaluation, experience feedback exchange and supplier credit evaluation, and effectively strengthened the construction of industry self-discipline.

Question 5: Since the Chernobyl nuclear accident, the nuclear energy industry at home and abroad has been strengthening the nuclear safety culture. What has been achieved in the construction of nuclear safety culture in China's nuclear energy industry?

Yang Bo: "Nuclear safety culture" is a concept put forward by the IAEA when summarizing the lessons of the Chernobyl accident. It is a concept that includes the safety literacy of personnel at all levels in the process of decision-making, management and operation. China's nuclear energy industry is an early industrial field to advocate safety culture in China. During the "12th Five-Year Plan" period, China issued the "Nuclear Safety Culture Policy Statement" for the first time, indicating the consistent position and clear attitude of the Chinese government on the construction of nuclear safety culture. During the "13th Five-Year Plan" period, China further strengthened the construction of nuclear safety culture, widely promoted the eight characteristics of nuclear safety culture, took nuclear safety as an important value, and created a good nuclear safety culture atmosphere. Make sure everyone is a safety barrier.

Nuclear power enterprises have always adhered to the principle of "safety first, quality first", established a risk-oriented nuclear safety management system, continued to promote the construction of nuclear safety culture, and constantly improved nuclear safety management capabilities. The nuclear power production quality assurance system of nuclear power equipment manufacturing enterprises has been continuously improved, and the quality and level of equipment manufacturing have been greatly improved, meeting the development requirements of the national nuclear power industry.

Question 6: Can we say that nuclear energy safety and nuclear energy development go hand in hand?

Yang Bo: Yes. To develop the nuclear energy industry, actions to safeguard nuclear safety are always on the way. Safety is the lifeline of the nuclear industry, and China's nuclear energy industry can never have the slightest satisfaction on the issue of nuclear safety. The nuclear energy industry is an important part of our national economy. Compared with other industries, the nuclear energy industry has its own special management requirements and safety culture connotation in terms of nuclear safety, such as "four things" (everything has rules to follow, everything is well documented, everything is responsible, everything is supervised), "two zero tolerance" (that is, "zero tolerance" for concealing false reports, "zero tolerance" for illegal operations) requirements. Once found to be inconsistent with these requirements, all units will require immediate correction, continuous improvement and experience feedback, nuclear safety regulatory authorities, nuclear industry authorities, industry organizations and nuclear-related groups will also take various actions to correct and improve in accordance with the law. "Respecting nuclear safety, protecting nuclear safety, and ensuring nuclear safety" is always the mission and responsibility of every practitioner in China's nuclear energy industry, and nuclear safety is always on the road!