Safety Directors' Forum

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About the Safety Directors' Forum

In a sector where safety, security and the protection of the environment is, and must always be the number one priority, the Safety Directors’ Forum (SDF) plays a crucial role in bringing together senior level nuclear executives to:

  • Promote learning;
  • Agree strategy on key issues facing the industry;
  • Provide a network within the industry (including with Government and Regulators) and external to the industry;
  • Provide an industry input to new developments in the industry; and,
  • To ensure that the industry stays on its path of continual improvement.

It also looks to identify key strategic challenges facing the industry in the fields of Health, Safety, Security, Safeguards, Environment and Quality (HSSSEQ) and resolve them, often through working with the UK Regulators and Government, both of whom SDF meets twice yearly. The SDF members represent every part of the fuel cycle from fuel manufacture, through generation to reprocessing and waste treatment, including research, design, new build, decommissioning and care and maintenance. The SDF also has members who represent the Ministry of Defence (MoD) nuclear operations, as well as “smaller licensees” such as universities and pharmaceutical companies.

With over 25 members from every site licence company in the UK, every MoD authorised site and organisations which are planning to become site licensees the SDF represents a vast pool of knowledge and experience, which has made it a key consultee for Government and Regulators on new legislation and regulation.

The SDF has a strong focus on improvement across the industry. It has in place a number of subject-specific sub-groups looking in detail at issues such as radiological protection, human performance, learning from experience and the implementation of the new regulatory framework for security. Such sub groups have developed a number of Good Practice Guides which have been adopted by the industry.

If you have any questions, queries or updates you wish to share with the Safety Directors’ Forum email us at: sdf@nuclearinst.com

 

Terms of Reference

The purpose of the Safety Directors’ Forum (SDF):

The purpose of the Safety Directors’ Forum (SDF) is for the industry to work together to identify the key strategic Health, Safety, Security, Safeguards, Environment and Quality (HSSSEQ) facing the nuclear industry and identify the appropriate industry response.

Responses could be direct to Government, Regulators, the Customer (NDA, MoD) etc. and could range from presentations, letters and papers to delegations.

Facilitate sharing and understanding of:

  • Key nuclear environment, radiological, industrial, safety, health, security, safeguards and quality (HSSSEQ) issues;
  • The implications of recent experiences (including, but not solely incidents);
  • Regulatory developments and responses to them;
  • Cultural and leadership approaches in addition to technical and engineering matters. 

Promote co-operation across the nuclear industry on policy, strategy and technical matters where this is beneficial. Mechanisms for co-operation include:

  • Using existing industry groups;
  • Establishing ad hoc co-operation and ‘issue leaders’ as necessary.

Work with the Regulators in order to agree common goals, priorities, process in the pursuit of excellence. In particular, ensure that solutions are proportionate to the risk and cost effective when deployed.

Drive a continuous improvement culture for HSSSEQ across the industry.

Act as "sponsor" of and keep under review "Sub Groups" (SGs), to ensure they remain necessary and are operating effectively. Output in the form of documentation will also be kept under review for applicability, proportionality and effectiveness. Each SG will have an individual Director nominated to be the SDF Sponsor

Click here for a copy of the full Terms of Reference  for the SDF (updated June 2017).

The SDF also has separate Terms of Reference for meetings with Regulators - SDF-Regulatory Terms of Reference - April 2017

 

Vision and Mission

Vision

 To promote and maintain a safe, secure, sustainable UK Nuclear Industry.

Mission

 The Safety Directors’ Forum is a voluntary organisation whose primary objectives, through collaboration, are to:

  • Provide guidance to support operations across the whole lifecycle of the UK’s nuclear facilities so they are conducted safely, securely and with care for the environment and with a proportionate approach to risk;
  • Drive continuous improvement in the safety, security and environmental standards applied across the UK’s nuclear industry through sharing good practice;
  • Inform and influence Government Policy and regulatory approaches to ensure they are proportionate to the risks

 

Leadership & Management for Safety

Leadership and Management for Safety (LMfS) 

There have been many approaches to establishing the optimum model for effective leadership and management for safety1 (LMfS) within nuclear licensee businesses. Many organisations have developed their own models with most being based on the widely recognised frameworks developed by IAEA, WANO, INPO and the view of ONR. This note briefly outlines the key areas that, in the view of the UK Safety Directors Forum, should be addressed in an organisation’s approach to effective leadership and management for safety. It is not prescriptive in approach but rather an outline of the key attributes that would be expected in an organisation that has developed an effective approach to the leadership and management of safety.

LMfS Principles

  1. The organisation has a clear vision which is supported by clear business objectives and develops goals and strategies for their delivery. It should be clear that as part of the vision and the objectives, safety is an overriding priority.
  2. Policies and standards are established and implemented that support safety.
  3. The organisation has clear values and associated behaviours that support safety and these are openly promoted and upheld throughout the organisation.
  4. Leadership attributes at all levels throughout the organisation are clear and there is clear accountability for the delivery of the business requirements and the required safety performance.
  5. A management system is developed that ensures all processes and procedures deliver the required standards of quality and safety performance, with safety being a primary consideration in decision making.
  6. The organisational capability and resources support the required business strategy and associated safety requirements.
  7. The management of the supply chain supports the delivery of quality and safety.
  8. Key performance indicators are effectively utilised to manage the business and safety performance.
  9. Oversight and challenge of organisational performance is in place and welcomed.
  10. There is a clear culture of continuous improvement and learning and action for improvement is timely and effective.

1 “Safety” is interpreted as all forms of safety, quality, environmental protection and security, however it should be recognised that given the special nature of the potential nuclear hazard, nuclear safety should always be the overriding priority.

Please click the link below to download these principles as a document (PDF, 102kb)

 SDF Leadership and Management for Safety Principles - Jan 2018

 

SDF Sub-Groups

The Forum has a strong focus on improvement across the industry. It has in place a number of subject-specific sub-groups looking in detail at issues facing the industry.

  • Facilitate continuous improvement opportunities within the member organisations by sharing best practices in respect of operational safety standards and implementation arrangements
  • To formulate agreed industry policies and practices
  • Provide a forum for the effective sharing of knowledge and experience

The following sub-groups have pages on this website - follow the link in the acronym to visit the sub-groups page:

CEWG:

Clearance & Exemptions Working Group

CSG:

Culture Sub-Group

CSWG:

Conventional Safety Working Group

EARWG:

Environment Agency Requirements Working Group

HPF:

UK Nuclear Human Performance Working Group

IOWG:

Independent Oversight Working Group

IRPCG:

Industry Radiological Protection

Co-ordination Group

NEAF:

Nuclear Emergency Arrangements Forum

NIFSCC:

Nuclear Industries Fire Safety Coordinating Committee

OCWG:

Organisational Capability Working Group

OELG:

Operating Experience and Learning Group

PRF:

Peer Review Forum

RAMTUC:

Radioactive Material Transport Users Committee

Safeguards:

Safeguards Working Group

SCF:

Safety Case Forum

SCQWG:

Supply Chain Quality Working Group

SSG:

UK Nuclear Industry (civil) Security Sub Group

TCSC:

Transport Container Standardisation Committee

WPC:

Working Party on Criticality

YNPF:

Young Nuclear Professionals Forum

 

Publications

 

SDF Key Information

Safety Directors Forum

The SDF consists of senior leaders from every current nuclear site licence holder in the UK, prospective nuclear site licence holders, and every MoD authorised nuclear site.

The current chair is Pam Duerden (Nuclear Restoration Services) supported by vice chairs, Mark Treasure (EDF Energy) and Paul Rees (AWE Aldermaston). Meetings are held on a quarterly basis, the full SDF Terms of Reference can be found here.

Chair: Pam R. Duerden

Vice Chair: Paul Rees

Vice Chair: Mark Treasure

Safety Directors Forum-Regulator (SDF-R) Meeting

The SDF-R meeting is the primary interface between the SDF and senior members of the relevant regulators (ONR, EA, SEPA, NRW, DNSR).

Meetings are held biannually, full terms of reference can be found here.