This Safety Guide provides specific recommendations on the safety of uranium and plutonium mixed oxide (MOX) fuel fabrication facilities. The potential hazards of a MOX fuel fabrication facility are release of actinides, increased radiotoxicity due to trans-uranium actinides, and nuclear criticality. The toxicity of plutonium is high and therefore it is important that best practices be employed at all stages of the fabrication of MOX fuel, and that plutonium be handled, processed, treated and stored safely. The revised Safety Guide reflects current operational practices at MOX fuel fabrication facilities. The recommendations in this publication are aimed primarily at the operating organizations of fuel fabrication facilities, regulatory bodies and designers.

• 1. INTRODUCTION
  • Background
  • Objective
  • Scope
  • Structure
• 2. HAZARDS IN MOX FUEL FABRICATION FACILITIES
• 3. MANAGEMENT SYSTEM AND VERIFICATION OF SAFETY FOR MOX FUEL FABRICATION FACILITIES
  • Management responsibility
  • Resource management
  • Process implementation
  • Measurement, assessment, evaluation and improvement
  • Verification of safety
• 4. SITE EVALUATION FOR MOX FUEL FABRICATION FACILITIES
• 5. DESIGN OF MOX FUEL FABRICATION FACILITIES
  • Main safety functions
    • Design basis and safety analysis
    • Structures, systems and components important to safety
    • Confinement of radioactive material
    • Protection against external exposure
    • Prevention of nuclear criticality
  • Postulated initiating events
    • Internal hazards
    • External hazards
  • Instrumentation and control
    • Control rooms and panels
    • Safety related instrumentation and control systems
  • Human factor considerations
  • Safety analysis
    • Safety analysis for operational states
    • Safety analysis for accident conditions
    • Assessment of possible radiological or associated chemical consequences
  • Emergency preparedness and response
  • Management of radioactive waste
  • Management of gaseous and liquid effluents
  • Other design considerations
    • Customer specifications on fuel characteristics
    • Gloveboxes
    • Radiation protection and shielding
    • Intermediate storage of MOX and plutonium oxide
    • Modularization
    • Maintenance policy
    • Design provisions for on-site transfer of radioactive material and hazardous materials
    • Design provisions for decontamination and decommissioning
  • Ageing management considerations
• 6. CONSTRUCTION OF MOX FUEL FABRICATION FACILITIES
• 7. COMMISSIONING OF MOX FUEL FABRICATION FACILITIES
• 8. OPERATION OF MOX FUEL FABRICATION FACILITIES
  • Organization of the operation of MOX fuel fabrication facilities
  • Staffing of a MOX fuel fabrication facility
  • Qualification and training of personnel
  • Operational documentation
  • Maintenance, calibration, periodic testing and inspection
  • Ageing management
  • Control of modifications
  • Control of nuclear criticality hazards
  • Radiation protection
  • Industrial and chemical safety
  • Management of radioactive waste and effluents
  • Emergency preparedness and response
  • Feedback of operating experience
• 9. PREPARATION FOR DECOMMISSIONING OF MOX FUEL FABRICATION FACILITIES
• REFERENCES
• Annex I TYPICAL PROCESS ROUTES IN A MOX FUEL FABRICATION FACILITY
• Annex II EXAMPLES OF STRUCTURES, SYSTEMS AND COMPONENTS IMPORTANT TO SAFETY AND POSSIBLE CHALLENGES TO SAFETY FUNCTIONS FOR MOX FUEL FABRICATION FACILITIES
• Annex III EXAMPLES OF PARAMETERS FOR DEFINING OPERATIONAL LIMITS AND CONDITIONS FOR MOX FUEL FABRICATION FACILITIES
• CONTRIBUTORS TO DRAFTING AND REVIEW