About Us
The UK Working Party on Criticality (WPC) is a non-executive national committee focussing on criticality safety issues up to, but not including, experimental and in-core power reactor operations. The issues considered are relevant to fabrication, transportation, storage and other operations relating to nuclear materials (e.g. new build, enrichment, reprocessing, decommissioning and long-term waste management).
The objectives of the group are to:
- Provide a forum for the discussion and distribution of information of relevance to criticality safety in the UK, particularly the sharing and development of industry good practice.
- Disseminate regulatory issues of relevance to criticality safety and facilitate the development of a UK criticality community view on such matters (and response, where appropriate).
- Promote establishing UK databases and standards relevant to criticality safety.
- Guide, promote, co-ordinate and encourage co-operation on high priority activities of common interest to the UK criticality safety community, e.g. through identifying and establishing appropriate Working Groups and maintaining a ‘high priority issues’ list.
- Monitor progress and publish reports of the meetings of those Working Groups established by the Committee.
- Provide opportunities for the continued professional development of criticality safety personnel, e.g. through involvement in the Working Groups, attendance at appropriate Workshops or providing common industry training modules.
- Co-ordinate work with other organisations to avoid overlap of activities (e.g. the Shielding Forum).
- Promote international collaboration in the field of criticality safety, e.g. by establishing co-operative arrangements with criticality professionals and bodies in other countries.
Programme of Work
- Two main meetings are held each year, in May and November.
- A continuing training workshop is held in conjunction with the November meeting.
- Members participate in various sub-group activities and other collaborations, including the review of ONR TAGs and draft international standards.
Useful Documents
Scope & Objectives of the UK Working Party on Criticality
Good Practice Guide to Criticality Detection at UK Nuclear Licenced Sites Issue 1 (2017) (0.7MB)
Links to Other Sites
www.criticality.org.uk - UK Working Party on Criticality
Contact Us
For information regarding the UK Working Party on Criticality please contact:
Fred Winstanley, Chair
Dave Peacock - Sponsor