How Safe Is Safe Enough? The Canadian Answer

Abstract

Since the beginning of the nuclear power program safety has been a major concern. The basic question has been "How safe is safe enough?"

An accident to the NRX reactor in 1952 prompted much introspection about safety, especially for the power reactors then being considered. As a result, Canada approached the question from a fundamental basis. This contrasted with the arbitrary rules applied by most of the other countries involved in the beginning of the nuclear power program in the 1950s and 1960s.

This paper reviews the safety concepts that evolved in Canada based on that fundamental approach and the resulting design and operational requirements that ensued. Some comparisons are made with current proposed "international standards."