Prestigious international review of Bruce Power has begun

A group of international nuclear experts, led by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), has arrived at Bruce Power for an Operational Safety Review Team (OSART) Mission, which runs until Dec. 17.

 

Bruce Power was put forward for this review in 2014 by the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC), Canada’s independent nuclear regulator and an active participant in the international nuclear community.
 

“We are honoured to have been chosen to participate in this prestigious international review where we will outline the progress we’ve made since 2001 while continuing to do what nuclear operators do best – focus on sharing best practices and continuously improving," said James Scongack, Bruce Power’s vice-president, corporate affairs.
 

The OSART program has been in place since 1982, providing member states the opportunity to share best practices and to support continuous improvements to their operations. Best practices identified through these reviews are shared through the IAEA to other nuclear operators.

The review will focus on Bruce B, which is recognized internationally for its strong safety and operational performance and was awarded the Institute of Nuclear Power Operators award of excellence in recognition of its world-class performance in November, 2014.
 

“Bruce B continues to demonstrate strong safety and operational performance while meeting the electricity needs of Ontario,” said Pierre Pilon, senior vice-president, Bruce B. “This is an opportunity for us to identify areas for continuous improvement given our relentless focus on achieving excellence, while also showcasing many of our strengths to share with others.”
 

Bruce Power’s facilities are licensed by the CNSC, which has inspectors on site and publishes an annual report on the safety performance of all nuclear power plants in Canada. Bruce Power’s positive report card from 2013 can be found here.
 

In addition, Bruce Power is an active member of the World Association of Nuclear Operators (WANO) which also conducts reviews of facilities with extensive information sharing.

For more information on the OSART Mission, watch a YouTube video.