Proposed ANSI Standard for Nuclear Safeguards Systems

(ANSI/INMM) N15 Technical Standards Committee has proposed development of a standard addressing safeguards systems. This paper describes the purpose and need for such a standard and provides an outline for its development. The standard will provide an umbrella standard for other ANSI nuclear safeguards standards. It will describe the structure of safeguards system in terms of material accountability, material control, and material protection components, and will also describe the integration and management of these components. Development of the standard will take into consideration U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), and International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) documents that address nuclear safeguards systems. The writing committee for the standard will involve safeguards professionals from the DOE, NRC, DOE national laboratories, operating contractors and NRC licensees, and would like to have involvement from the international community. The intent is to develop a standard that can be used in the design and implementation of safeguards systems at DOE facilities, NRC licensees, and facilities in other countries. A secondary aim is to standardize nuclear safeguards terminology to the extent practical.