LESSONS LEARNED IN PREPARING FOR IAEA INSPECTIONS

Experiences of the two licensed low enriched uranium fuel fabricators in the United States, that preceeded Westinghouse under full IAEA safeguards implementation, have been well documented in the literature '2 . These papers present details of the operators' perceptions, of the records audit activities, and of the inventory verification actions. They also present comprehensive assessments of these experiences by the operators. At the conclusion of current tenure, Westinghouse will similarly report such results. This precursory paper describes lessons learned in preparing for the IAEA audits and verifications at the Columbia Fuel Fabrication Facility. To start, it is essential to review thoroughly all available literature relevant to types of audits and verifications to be experienced. (The substance and methodology of IAEA audits and verifications will surely be somewhat different from that previously encountered.) Back issues of the INMM Journal carry excellent resource articles (with attendant references to additional relevant literature). It is helpful to coordinate this research through a central person, who, in turn, can serve as a screening and distribution point for all cognizant individuals in the organization who will be involved in the subsequent reviews.