Finland has strengthened its regulatory framework for nuclear and radiation safety and made significant progress in recent years. This was reported by a team of experts from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). The IAEA Integrated Regulatory Review Service (IRRS) mission team recommended expediting a planned amendment of the legislation so that it covers all stages of the life cycle for nuclear and radiation facilities.
IRRS missions are intended to strengthen the effectiveness of national nuclear and radiation regulatory infrastructure. IAEA safety standards and international good practices provide the basis for their mission. They also recognize the responsibility of each country to ensure nuclear and radiation safety.
The IAEA team concluded a twelve-day investigatory mission to Finland on the 14th of October. The mission was requested by the Finnish government. It was hosted by the Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority (STUK). The team comprised eighteen senior regulatory experts from fourteen Member States. One observer and four IAEA staff members also participated. During the mission, the IAEA team conducted interviews with management and staff from STUK, the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health, the Ministry of Employment and the Economy, the Ministry of Interior and the STUK's Advisory Committee on Nuclear Safety.
The IAEA team reviewed regulatory oversight of facilities and activities using nuclear materials and radiation sources. The review included emergency preparedness and response, decommissioning and occupation, medical and public exposure control.
The IRRS team identified several good practices which included
• Implementation of a systematic model for regularly monitoring of licensees’ overall safety performance.
• Media training in nuclear and radiation safety to enhance public awareness.
• Development of a publicly available information system on radiation safety legislation that includes guidance and expectations from STUK for licensees.
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The IRRS team made several recommendations and suggestions to further reinforce continuous improvement. In addition, the recommendations will further enhance the Finnish regulatory systems and effectiveness of the regulatory functions in line with IAEA safety standards.
Sylvie Cadet-Mercier was the IRRS team leader and is the Commissioner of the French Nuclear Safety Authority (ASN). She said, “Our review concluded that Finland has a robust and up-to-date regulatory framework that aligns with IAEA Safety Standards. I am also impressed by STUK's ongoing quest for excellence without falling into the trap of complacency.”
The final IRRS mission report will be provided to STUK in about three months.
Petteri Tiippana is the Director General of STUK. She said, "I'm very pleased with the outcome of the IRRS mission. We have been peer reviewed by a team of high-level experts and got valuable inputs to help us do better. The outcome of the mission demonstrates the real value of peer reviews. Although we did our homework very carefully prior to the mission, still the IRRS team found further areas for improvement. In other words, you may have 'blind spots' that you are not able to self-identify.”
Finland hosted an initial IAEA IRRS mission in 2012 and a follow-up mission in 2015
The latest mission will be followed by an IAEA Integrated Review Service for Radioactive Waste and Spent Fuel Management, Decommissioning and Remediation (Artemis) mission which is scheduled for next month. It will assess radioactive waste and spent nuclear fuel management, decommissioning and remediation programs in the country.