A Guide to the Design of Physical Protection Systems for Light water Reactors

In early 1978, the United States Department of Energy organized, in cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency and the United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission, an inter-regional training course on the physical protection of nuclear facilities and materials. The Department of Energy directed Sandia National Laboratories to prepare and conduct the course in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Shortly after the evolution of this training program, the Agency directed the U. S. Department of Energy to develop a \"Guide to the Design of Physical Protection Systems for Light Water Reactors.\" A draft of the Guide was prepared by Sandia National Laboratories and is based on selected materials developed for and used in the physical protection training course. The Guide emphasizes the need for systematic approach to the design and evaluation of physical protection systems, discusses light water reactor vulnerabilities, outlines a method of threat analysis and discusses the characteristics of a broad spectrum of hardware available for use in physical protection systems.