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Electricity : Safety
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Safety of a reactor is of prime concern to its owner, for several reasons: to ensure the safety of the public, the reactor operators, and of the investment itself. Therefore, the design of a reactor is developed according to industry standards.
These industry standards are developed by expert committees under the aegis of professional not-for-profit organizations such as the American Society of Mechanical Engineers. They incorporate the best design, construction and operational standards, which have been developed over many decades of experience. For example, the standards for reactor pressure-vessel design arose out of standards for the construction of boilers for Mississippi River boats that had previously been failing. The standards have since been modified and added to for the fabrication of very thick stainless steel pressure vessels far advanced from those on the paddle-wheel steamers.
The building of a reactor takes many steps: choice of a suitable site; design of the power plant to fit that site; fabrication of the components and construction of the plant; low power commissioning; and, finally, full power operation. At each stage, the designer assures himself of the safety of operation.
In addition, the licensing authority, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) overviews the process and issues permits and licenses at significant points to allow work to proceed. The NRC has previously reviewed the industry standards and issued them (sometimes with modifications) as NRC standards incorporated into law -- thereby ensuring that the best of industrial practices are incorporated into all new plants.
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