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AMERICAN NUCLEAR SOCIETY
MINUTES
SUBCOMMITTEE 8, "Fissionable Materials Outside Reactors"
Washington, DC – November 21, 2002
Members present: H. Toffer N. Harris
C. M. Hopper T. A. Reilly
A. S. Garcia F. M. Alcorn
Members Absent: G. E. Whitesides R. A. Libby
J. A. Schlesser D. A. Reed
T. P. McLaughlin
Visitors and Working Group Members Present:
R. Anderson, LANL H. Pfeifer, NAC International
J. Morman, ANL (8.26) D. Mennerdahl, EMS - Sweden
J. Chen, Univ. of Cincinnati D. Carlson, USNRC
J. Nigon, Cogema-France V. Perin, USNRC
B. Wilson, Bechtel Jacobs M. Westfall, ORNL
F. Alcorn, Consultant J. Pearson, LLNL
B. Rothleder, DOE J. Hicks, (8.5)
I. Fergus, DOE S. Clement, LANL
F. Trumble, WSMS L. Duncan, BWXT
G. Couture, WSRC (8.25) B. Kidd, BWXT (8.17)
R. Wilson, DOE K. Reynolds, DOE
W. Rhoden, WTS/WIPP L. Wetzel, BWXT
M. Chatterton, USNRC G. Bidinger, Consultant
W. Darby, BNFL J. Philbin, Sandia
T. Carroll, BNFL G. Harms, Sandia
J. Miller, LANL C. Tripp, NRC
D. Bowen, LANL P. Angelo, Y-12
V. Putman, INEEL M. Raap, PNNL
S. Huang, LLNL D. Moy, WTS
D. Erickson, FFS S. Seth, DOE
C. Rombough, CTR Technical Services, Inc. N. Schwers, Sandia
J. Roarty, DNFSB D. Cabrilla, DOE
Parentheticals indicate WG Chairs. V. Anderson, DNFSB
ANS-8 Meeting Minutes 2 June 13, 2002
Hollywood, FL
1. Rick Anderson substituting for Tom McLaughlin, ANS-8 chairman, convened the meeting at
1:00 pm at the Omni Shoreham Hotel, Washington, DC. Rick welcomed attendees and explained
that Tom’s wife is ill and he is unable to attend the meeting.
2. Minutes: The minutes of the meeting of Subcommittee 8 in Hollywood, FL were accepted as
distributed.
3. Standards Activities Reports:
N16 - Calvin Hopper reported on N16 activities. He stated that there has not been much
change since the Hollywood report and the Hollywood, FL minutes for the most part reflect the
current status. He indicated that the American Society of Safety Engineers’ issue with Draft
Standard 8.26 should be resolved shortly. He also noted that the Draft Standard 8.27 working
group is active and that the standard is appropriate for criticality safety rather than reactors.
4. Reports of Representatives to Other Standards Groups:
ISO – C. M. Hopper. Calvin Hopper reported on ISO Standards activities. NCS is within ISO
Technical Committee 85 (Nuclear Energy), Subcommittee 5 (Nuclear Fuel Technology),
Working Group 8 (Criticality Safety). The MOX standard is progressing. The Administrative
Practices standard is much the same as the US standard and should be circulating shortly. The
basic criticality safety standard (1709) and the alarm standard are active.
5. Reports from Working Groups:
a. ANS-8.1 [Maintenance of ANSI/ANS-8.1-1998], Nuclear Criticality Safety in
Operations with Fissionable Material Outside Reactors: A. S. Garcia. A. Garcia
reported that the 8.1 WG met on 11/19/02. The effort to expand the set of subcritical
limits in the standard has not progressed as quickly as expected. The WG chair will
send out a summary of what calculations were planned and what has been done. He will
organize sub-groups to concentrate on subsets of the calculations (e. g., solutions).
Arrangements have been made to set up a web site to put the input and output files
from the calculations. The site will be restricted to WG members and reviewers.
The WG decided to include COG calculations in the study. VIM calculations will be
included for some parameters but not all of them. There is an offer of participation by
NRC staff with computational capabilities.
The WG is to consider explaining the double contingency principle in 8.1. Recent
discussions indicate that there are still some differing opinions on the intent and
application of the statement as currently written. The NCSD Education Committee is
developing a series of white papers, one of which deals with the double contingency
principle. The WG will coordinate its work in this area to make sure the white paper is
consistent with the standard and will consider including the white paper as an Appendix
in the Standard.
ANS-8 Meeting Minutes 3 June 13, 2002
Hollywood, FL
b. ANS-8.3 [Maintenance of ANSI/ANS-8.3-1997], Criticality Accident Alarm System:
D. A. Reed. D. Reed was unable to attend the ANS-8 Meeting as he had to return to
Oak Ridge for business reasons. He submitted the following written report. The working
group met on Sunday afternoon with 7 members present. Review items included:
1) Makeup of the working group. The working group is interested in adding
international representation and one more NRC licensee.
2) The working group is considering comments on reaffirmation of the 1997 version of
the standard. There are 4 yes ballots from N-16 members with comments for future
revision and there is one set of comments from the public review. The WG Chair is
providing proposed responses to these comments for review and concurrence by the
WG.
3) The working group is considering how to better address use of personal alarming
dosimeters as a compensatory measure for special situations in which fully
compliant ANS-8.3 alarm systems are not available. Initial WG feedback at the
meeting was not in favor of permitting use of personal alarming dosimeters as a
stand-alone alarm system for general application. Initial WG feedback is that
examples of facility situations or operations do exist wherein installation of an alarm
system may provide marginally more benefit than use of personal alarming
dosimeters. WG individuals are to propose revisions to Section 4.2.2 of the standard
for consideration by the entire WG.
4) The working group is considering how better guidance may be offered for the
minimum accident of concern, for situations where detector placement is
complicated by shielding, but the shielding is not adequate to protect personnel.
5) The working group is considering a proposed change to the 115-decibel
recommendation, so that somewhat higher sound levels are acceptable for short-
duration exposure (would be more consistent with OSHA guidance).
6) The working group has a number of other remaining revision topics open for
examination, but not covered in detail at this meeting. Guidance for IEZ definition
is the most important, including provision of a proper interface between ANS-8.3
and ANS-8.23. The ANS-8.23 and ANS-8.3 chairs met in Oak Ridge the week prior
to the ANS-8 meeting.
c. ANS-8.5 [Maintenance of ANSI/ANS-8.5-1996 (R2002)], Use of Borosilicate Glass
Raschig Rings as a Neutron Absorber in Solutions of Fissile Materials: J.
Hicks. J. Hicks reported that the standard was recently reaffirmed and is in
maintenance. The WG has not had much activity the past year.
d. ANS-8.6 [Maintenance of ANSI/ANS-8.6-1986 (R2001)], Safety in Conducting
Subcritical Neutron-Multiplication Measurements In Situ: T. E. Valentine. T.
Valentine was not present, and no report was provided.
ANS-8 Meeting Minutes 4 June 13, 2002
Hollywood, FL
e. ANS-8.7 [Maintenance of ANSI/ANS-8.7-1998], Guide for Nuclear Criticality Safety
in the Storage of Fissile Materials: C. M. Hopper. C. Hopper reported that the
standard was revised in 1998 and is due for action in 2003. The WG will likely ask for
an extension to do additional work. WG members are reviewing the bases (reference
documents) for statements in the standard to see if the statements are supported by the
references. The WG is considering adding guidance for drum storage.
f. ANS-8.10 [Maintenance of ANSI/ANS-8.10-1983 (R1999)], Criteria for Nuclear
Criticality Safety Controls in Operations with Shielding and Confinement: B.
L. Lee. G. Bidinger reported that two WG members met. There is a problem with the
scope of the standard and the WG is looking to the ANS-8 chairman for guidance.
g. ANS-8.12 [Maintenance of ANSI/ANS-8.12-1987 (R2002)], Nuclear Criticality
Control and Safety of Plutonium-Uranium Fuel Mixtures Outsider Reactors: S.
Huang. S. Huang reported that there has been considerable change in the membership
of the WG. S Huang has taken over as chair of the WG from S. Parra. The WG is
considering meeting at the ANS meeting in San Diego to discuss the substantial work
that has already been completed.
h. ANS-8.14, Development of Subcritical Limits of Fissile Materials in Solutions of
Neutron Absorbers: T. A. Reilly. T. Reilly reported that the WG is completing
resolution of comments from the ANS-8 ballot. Those ANS-8 members that provided
comments have been contacted regarding the proposed resolution. When the resolution
is complete, the draft will go back to ANS-8 for another ballot.
i. ANS-8.15 [Revision of ANSI/ANS-8.15-1981 (R1995)], Nuclear Criticality Control of
Special Actinide Elements: N. L. Pruvost. N. Pruvost was not present. M. Westfall
reported that the WG made progress on computations for best estimates of critical mass
for Am-241. The standard will address elements up through Fermium. It will include
predictions based on nuclear theory and data or computations. The WG needs to get
articles published to complete the revision. The standard will state subcritical limits
while the critical data will be in references or appendices. J. Hicks suggested that all
the data being generated by efforts of the 8.1, 8.7 and 8.15 WGs could be published in an
ANS handbook.
j. ANS-8.17 [Revision of ANSI/ANS-8.17-1984 (R1997)], Criticality Safety Criteria for
the Handling, Storage, and Transportation of LWR Fuel Outside Reactors: B.
O. Kidd. B. Kidd reported that the WG has been revitalized within the last few months.
The 2001 ANS-8 ballots are being addressed and the standard will go back to ANS-8
when the two remaining issues are resolved.
k. ANS-8.19 [Revision of ANSI/ANS-8.19-1996], Administrative Practices for Nuclear
Criticality Safety: R. W. Carson. R. Carson was not present. There was no report.
Post meeting: The WG is addressing ANS-8 comments with intent to have ANS-8 re-
ballot the revised standard.
l. ANS-8.20 [Maintenance of ANSI/ANS-8.20-1991 (R1999)], Nuclear Criticality Safety
Training: M. R. Crowell. M. Crowell was not present and there was no report.
ANS-8 Meeting Minutes 5 June 13, 2002
Hollywood, FL
m. ANS-8.21 [Maintenance of ANSI/ANS-8.21-1995 (R2001)], Use of Fixed Neutron
Absorbers in the Design of Nuclear Facilities Outside Reactors: H. Toffer. H.
Toffer reported that the WG met at Hollywood and established working objectives. These
are to provide an example of use of the standard in the appendix, to update the
bibliography, and to combine the standard with 8.5.
n. ANS-8.22, (Maintenance of ANSI/ANS-8.22-1997), Nuclear Criticality Safety Based
on Limiting and Controlling Moderators: J. S. Bullington. J. Bullington was not
present and there was no report. Post meeting: the WG chair has requested an
extension for the standard. The scope is under consideration for change.
o. ANS-8.23, (Maintenance of ANSI/ANS-8.23-1997), Criticality Accident Emergency
Planning and Response: J. S. Baker. J. Baker was not present but Calvin Hopper
reported that a revision is nearing completion including appendices. The revision will
probably be available for ANS-8 ballot about mid year 2003. An extension for the
standard may be required. The following written report was provided from the meeting
of the ANS-8.3 and ANS-8.23 chairs in Oak Ridge the week before the ANS-8 meeting.
The current focus of ANS-8.23 efforts is to generate one or more appendices to provide
examples of accident scenarios and their proper emergency planning and response. The
ANS-8.3 and ANS-8.23 chairs feel that ANS-8.3 is the right standard in which to
provide guidance for IEZ determination.
p. ANS-8.24, Development of Validation of Neutron Transport Calculational
Methods Applied to Nuclear Criticality Safety Analyses: R. D. Busch. R. Busch
was not present but Fitz Trumble reported that the WG met in the Spring in Oak
Ridge. About 90% of the text of the body of the standard has been completed. The WG
members have an assignment to apply the standard to actual situations to see if it
works. Members met at this ANS Meeting and plan to meet next Spring to complete the
text and appendices.
q ANS-8.25, Development of Postings for Nuclear Criticality Safety, G. F. Couture.
G. Couture reported that the WG met at this ANS Meeting and has had electronic
discussions since the Hollywood ANS meeting. The WG is determining what should be
in the standard and what should be in appendices. Their goal is to have the standard to
ANS-8 by next Fall.
r ANS-8.26, Development of Nuclear Criticality Safety Specialist Training and
Qualification, J. A. Morman. J. Morman reported that the WG met on 11/20/02. The
latest version of the draft, which incorporates comments from the WG meeting of last
June, was reviewed. A first draft of Section 5 was supplied to the WG at the meeting
and much of the meeting focused on incorporating it into the draft standard. Comments
were received from the UK member of the WG and these will be addressed in the next
draft, which should be distributed early next year. That version is expected to be nearly
complete and possibly ready for ANS-8 review.
The objection raised by the ASSE to 8.26 was discussed. Calvin Hopper, as chair
of N-16, contacted ASSE to resolve the problem. It appears they will drop their objection
if we make it clear that 8.26 addresses only the content of the training program (the
“what”) and not the implementation of the program (the “how”). ASSE wanted 8.26 to
contain an explicit reference to the ASSE training standard, but the WG does not agree.
Words might be added to the foreword to note the existence of their standards.
ANS-8 Meeting Minutes 6 June 13, 2002
Hollywood, FL
The PINs form for 8.26 will be resubmitted to clarify the content and scope of
the standard in such a way that the ASSE objection will be addressed.
s. ANS-8.27, Development of Burnup Credit for Nuclear Criticality Safety Analyses,
D. B. Lancaster. D. Lancaster reported that the WG will meet 11/22/02. The WG has a
rough draft of the proposed standard for discussion. They will be resolving different
considerations for storage and transportation.
9. Other Business:
Old business:
1. Rick Anderson invited those with interest in standards that are not involved to become involved.
2. Neil Harris of the UK noted that the UK has clarified participation in the standards. He has
submitted a UK contact for each standard to the Secretary, John Schlesser.
New business:
1. There was discussion regarding the Next ANS-8 meeting at San Diego. The program committee has
arranged for a session similar to the one at this meeting. There was some discussion on the seating
arrangement for the meeting. It was agreed that “round table” seating would be better than the
theater type seating at this meeting.
2. Rick Anderson mentioned that WGs should plan for the standards poster session at the Winter 2004
meeting.
3. Brian Kidd discussed some comments received on 8.17 and sought the group’s guidance.
a) A comment was received to incorporate regulations in the standard. The group consensus was
that it is not appropriate to include regulatory requirements in the body of a standard. The
regulation could , however, be referenced or appear in an appendix.
b) There was a question if 8.1 should be the standard that prevails. The discussion centered about
the statement in the shall, should, may definition that states, “When recommendations are not
implemented, justification shall be documented.” There is a difference of opinion on if the shall
in this statement should be a shall or should. Is another standard allowed to use a should and be
in conflict with 8.1? It was suggested that the ANS-8 chair poll the membership on the question
that if there is a conflict between a standard and 8.1 should the 8.1 position prevail?
4. Mike Westfall stated that he met with Dick Black of EH-53 and that there is an increased interest
by DOE and the NRC for support of international standards including providing financial support.
DOE will continue support of NTAG and ISO standards. There is interest in better communications
between the regulator and the standards developers.
5. Neil Harris asked if a standard has to go back to ballot if the appendix is completed or changed after
the ballot. Burt Rothleder commented that appendices have to be complete for N-16 review.
6. Rick acknowledged the large attendance and thanked the participants. George Bidinger stated that
Rick should convey the group’s concern to Tom McLaughlin regarding his wife’s illness.
ANS-8 Meeting Minutes 7 June 13, 2002
Hollywood, FL
The secretary thanks Tom Reilly, WSMS, for recording the minutes.
The meeting was adjourned at 3:00 pm.
Respectfully submitted,
John A. Schlesser
Secretary, Subcommittee 8
AMERICAN NUCLEAR SOCIETY STANDARDS COMMITTEE
SUBCOMMITTEE 8 AGENDA
Omni Shoreham Hotel
Washington, DC
November 21, 2002
1. Welcome; discussion of agenda
2. Approval of ANS-8 meeting minutes, June 13, 2002, Hollywood, FL
3. Standards Activity Report – C. M. Hopper
4. Report of Representatives of Other Standards Groups:
a. ISO Activities – C. M. Hopper
b. NFSC Activities – R. A. Knief
5. Reports from Working Groups:
a. ANS-8.1 (Maintenance), Generic Criticality, A. S. Garcia
b. ANS-8.3 (Maintenance), Criticality Accident Alarm System, D. A. Reed
c. ANS-8.5 (Maintenance), Borosilicate-Glass Raschig Rings, J. Hicks
d. ANS-8.6 (Maintenance), In Situ Measurements, T. E. Valentine
e. ANS-8.7 (Maintenance), Storage of Fissile Materials, C. M. Hopper
f. ANS-8.10 (Maintenance), Shielded Facilities, B. L. Lee
g. ANS-8.12 (Maintenance), Mixed Oxides, S. A. Parra
h. Proposed ANS-8.14, Use of Soluble Neutron Absorbers, T. A. Reilly
i. ANS-8.15 (Revision), Actinides, N. L. Pruvost
j. ANS-8.17 (Revision), Fuel Element Safety, B. O. Kidd
k. ANS-8.19 (Revision), Administrative Practices, R. W. Carson
l. ANS-8.20 (Maintenance), Training, TBD
m. ANS-8.21 (Maintenance), Use of Fixed Neutron Absorbers, H. Toffer
n. ANS-8.22 (Maintenance), Moderators, J. S. Bullington
o. ANS-8.23 (Maintenance), Emergency Response, J. S. Baker
p. Proposed ANS-8.24, V&V, R. D. Busch
q. Proposed ANS-8.25, Postings, G. F. Couture
r. Proposed ANS-8.26, NCSE Training, J. A. Morman
s. Proposed ANS-8.27, Burn-up Credit, D. Lancaster
6. Old Business
7. New Business
a. Next meeting, San Diego, CA
b. ANS-8 poster session – Winter 2004 meeting. Although still two years in the future, WG
chairs should start planning for this ANS-8 event.
8. Closing
ANS STANDARDS SUBCOMMITTEE 8
October 2002
PRODUCTS AND PROJECTS
PRODUCTS
Standard Title ANSI Approval †
ANS-8.1 Nuclear Criticality Safety in Operations with Fissionable 1998
Materials Outside Reactors
ANS-8.3 Criticality Accident Alarm System 1997
ANS-8.5 Use of Borosilicate-Glass Raschig Rings as a Neutron 1996; Rf 3/06/02
Absorber in Solutions of Fissile Material
ANS-8.6 Safety in Conducting Subcritical Neutron-Multiplication 1983; Rf 7/23/01
Measurements In Situ
ANS-8.7 Nuclear Criticality Safety in the Storage of Fissile Materials 1998
ANS-8.9 Nuclear Criticality Safety Criteria for Steel-Pipe Withdrawn
Intersections Containing Aqueous Solutions of Fissile
Materials
ANS-8.10 Criteria for Nuclear Criticality Safety Controls in Operations 1983; Rf 2/4/99
with Shielding and Confinement
ANS-8.12 Nuclear Criticality Control and Safety of Plutonium- 1987; Rf 3/20/02
Uranium Fuel Mixtures Outside Reactors
ANS-8.15 Nuclear Criticality Control of Special Actinide Elements 1981; Rf 9/12/95
ANS-8.17 Criticality Safety Criteria for the Handling, Storage, and 1984; Rf 3/20/97
Transportation of LWR Fuel Outside Reactors
ANS-8.19 Administrative Practices for Nuclear Criticality Safety 1996
ANS-8.20 Nuclear Criticality Safety Training 1991; Rf 9/20/99
ANS-8.21 Use of Fixed Neutron Absorbers in Nuclear Facilities 1995; Rf 7/23/01
Outside Reactors
ANS-8.22 Nuclear Criticality Safety Based on Limiting and 1997
Controlling Moderators
ANS-8.23 Nuclear Criticality Accident Emergency Planning and 1997
Response
† USNRC has endorsed all ANS-8 American National Standards, but not necessarily the latest revision, in NRC
Regulatory Guide 3.71, Nuclear Criticality Safety Standards for Fuels and Material Facilities, August 1998.
PROJECTS
Working Group Brief Title WG Chair Status
ANS-8.1 M (03) Generic Garcia
ANS-8.3 M(02) Alarm System Reed At Rf ballot
ANS-8.5 M(07) Raschig Rings Hicks
ANS-8.6 M(06) In Situ Valentine
ANS-8.7 M(03) Storage Hopper
ANS-8.10 M(04) Shielded Facilities Lee
ANS-8.12 M(07) Mixed Oxides Huang
ANS-8.14 N Soluble Absorbers Reilly At ANS-8 ballot
ANS-8.15 Rv(03)Xtn Actinides Pruvost WG convened
ANS-8.17 M(02) Fuel Element Safety Kidd At Rv ballot
ANS-8.19 M(01) Administration Carson Resolving ballot comments
ANS-8.20 M(04) Training Crowell
ANS-8.21 M(06) Fixed Absorbers Toffer
ANS-8.22 M(02) Moderation Control Bullington
ANS-8.23 M(02) Emer. Response Baker
ANS-8.24 (N) Validation Busch PINS Approved
ANS-8.25 (N) Postings Couture PINS submitted
ANS-8.26 (N) NCSS T&Q Morman PINS Approved
ANS-8.27 (N) Burn-up Credit Lancaster PINS in development
ANS-8 Meeting Minutes 2 June 13, 2002
Hollywood, FL
Legend: M = Maintenance; N = New; Rf = Reaffirmation; Rv = Revision; Xtn = Extension
UK Contacts and Representatives on ANS-8 Sub-Committees -
Proposal
The following list of contacts are those endorsed by the UK Working Party on
Criticality to provide UK assistance to each working group, where applicable.
Key:
*Names in Bold indicate active member (current or proposed)
$Names in Bold Italics indicate a watching brief role (not actively
participating but available as a point of contact)
Ø ANS-8.1 [Maintenance of ANSI/ANS-8.1-1998], Nuclear Criticality Safety in Operations with
Fissionable Material Outside Reactors: A. S. Garcia.
*Neil Harris (BNFL)
Ø ANS-8.3 [Maintenance of ANSI/ANS-8.3-1997], Criticality Accident Alarm System: D. A. Reed. - Kath
Bhanot (historical)
$Andy Cooper (BNFL)
Ø ANS-8.5 [Maintenance of ANSI/ANS-8.5-1996], Use of Borosilicate Glass Raschig Rings as a Neutron
Absorber in Solutions of Fissile Materials: J. Hicks.
No representation offered at present (Use Neil Harris as POC if needed)
Ø ANS-8.6 [Maintenance of ANSI/ANS-8.6-1986 (R1995)], Safety in Conducting Subcritical Neutron-
Multiplication Measurements In Situ: T. E. Valentine. Re-affirmed in July 2001
No representation offered at present (Use Neil Harris as POC if needed)
Ø ANS-8.7 [Maintenance of ANSI/ANS-8.7-1998], Nuclear Criticality Safety in the Storage of Fissile
Materials: C. M. Hopper.
*Jim Gulliford (BNFL)
Ø ANS-8.10 [Maintenance of ANSI/ANS-8.10-1983(R1988)], Criteria for Nuclear Criticality Safety Controls
in Operations with Shielding and Confinement: B. L. Lee.
No representation offered at present (Use Neil Harris as POC if needed)
Ø ANS-8.12 [Maintenance of ANSI/ANS-8.12-1987(R1993)], Nuclear Criticality Control and Safety of
Plutonium-Uranium Fuel Mixtures Outsider Reactors: S. C. Keeton.
Jane Edge (BNFL)
Ø ANS-8.14, Development of Subcritical Limits of Fissile Materials in Solutions of Neutron Absorbers: T.
A. Reilly.
$Neil Harris (BNFL)
Ø ANS-8.15 [Revision of ANSI/ANS-8.15-1981(R1995)], Nuclear Criticality Control of Special Actinide
Elements: N. L. Pruvost.
*Angela Clayton (AWE)
Ø ANS-8.17 [Maintenance of ANSI/ANS-8.17-1984(R1997)], Criticality Safety Criteria for the Handling,
Storage, and Transportation of LWR Fuel Outside Reactors: B. O. Kidd.
*Gordon Wadeson (BNFL)
Ø ANS-8.19 [Maintenance of ANSI/ANS-8.19-1996], Administrative Practices for Nuclear Criticality
Safety: R. W. Carson.
*Stuart Watson (AWE) – Provisional, to be confirmed
Ø ANS-8.20 [Maintenance of ANSI/ANS-8.20-1991(R1999)], Nuclear Criticality Safety Training: M. R.
Crowell.
$Neil Harris (BNFL) & Jim Stewart (DLTR)
Ø ANS-8.21 [Maintenance of ANSI/ANS-8.21-1995], Use of Fixed Neutron Absorbers in the Design of
Nuclear Facilities Outside Reactors: H. Toffer.
$Dave Simister (HMNII) & Jim Gulliford (BNFL)
Ø ANS-8.22, (Maintenance of ANSI/ANS-8.22-1997), Nuclear Criticality Safety Based on Limiting and
Controlling Moderators: J. S. Bullington.
$Gordon Wadeson (BNFL)
Ø ANS-8.23, [Maintenance of ANSI/ANS-8.23-1997], Criticality Accident Emergency Planning and
Response: J. S. Baker.
$Andy Cooper (BNFL)
Ø ANS-8.24, [Development of ANSI/ANS-8.24), Validation and Verification: R. D. Busch.
*Nigel Smith (Serco)
Ø ANS-8.25, Postings for Nuclear Criticality Safety, G. F. Couture. No report submitted
*Representative from AWE – To be identified & confirmed
Ø ANS-8.26, Development of Nuclear Criticality Safety Specialist Training and Qualification, J. A.
Morman.
*Jim Stewart (DTLR) & *Jim Gulliford (BNFL)
Ø ANS-8.27, Proposed Development of Burnup Credit for Nuclear Criticality Safety
Analyses, Dale Lancaster.
*Greg O’Connor (DTLR) & *Jim Gulliford (BNFL) & *Dave Simister (HMNII)
Use of ANS Standards in the United Kingdom Nuclear Industry
This note is to give a brief overview of use of the Standards. Use may vary from one UK
Nuclear Licensed Site to another and this is essentially an “averaged” viewpoint.
History
Historically, the ANS Standards were the keystone of criticality safety in development of in
early UK Nuclear Safety Programmes.
National Standards
The ANS standards formed the basis of the British Standard for Criticality Safety (7) in
Handling and Processing, drawing particularly heavily on ANS-8.1.
Current Use
The Standards continue to have an important role in Criticality Safety in the UK:
Ø As a fundamental reference to the equivalent “Nuclear Criticality Safety Manuals” for
each Licensee. E.g. for BNFL the United Kingdom Health & Safety Manual entries on
Criticality Safety, Particularly References 1 & 2 are relevant here.
Ø ANS 8.1 & 8.15 (Refs. 1 & 5) continue to be regularly used as reference and guidance on
their own.
Ø All the Standards are recognised as valid reference material in Criticality Evaluations
unless superseded at a more local level.
Ø Revision & development of ANS standards continue to have relevance & impact on UK
practices.
Ø Recognition of their importance by UK participation (where it is solicited) in their
development & revision.
Where there are differences
Where the UK have developed further/deviated from existing guidance is in the areas of:
Ø Double Contingency (Ref .1), moving to a Design Based Accident Analysis (DBAA)
approach. The Principle is still there, but is not the direct framework for application.
Ø Emergency Planning (Ref. 3). Currently under negotiation with the regulator to
construct a framework which:
ð revises the required region (contour) for prompt evacuation;
ð clarifies the position for required response in adjacent facilities;
ð enables the emergency plan to fit into the UK criteria for Emergency
Response in Radiological Emergencies;
ð clarifies what is required to be considered in the Safety Case for a
facility/process and what is required in the Emergency Plan (passive and
active safety measures).
Ø Postings for NCS (Ref. 4) Use of Postings as the vehicle for local requirements for
Criticality Safety has not been common practice in the UK. Methods to achieve the
dissemination of such information is normally facilitated through training and local
procedures. This is usually complimented by the Criticality Safety Certificate being
“posted” in the locality of the operations.
Ø NCS Specialist Training & Qualification
The standard (6) forms a basis for Licensee training arrangements but the emphasis is on
each to demonstrate the individuals involved in the business of Criticality Safety are Suitably
Qualified and Experienced to perform any activity (e.g. BNFL Criticality Training Program is
broadly in-line with the new draft Standard , invoking SQUEP levels 1-3 in line with the
definitions of “Trainee”, “Criticality Engineer” and “Senior Criticality Engineer”.
References
1. ANS-8.1 [Maintenance of ANSI/ANS-8.1-1998], Nuclear Criticality Safety in Operations with
Fissionable Material Outside Reactors
2. ANS-8.3 [Maintenance of ANSI/ANS-8.3-1997], Criticality Accident Alarm System
3. ANS-8.23, [Maintenance of ANSI/ANS-8.23-1997], Criticality Accident Emergency Planning and
Response
4. ANS-8.25, Postings for Nuclear Criticality Safety
5. ANS-8.15 [Revision of ANSI/ANS-8.15-1981(R1995)], Nuclear Criticality Control of Special Actinide
Elements
6. ANS-8.26, Nuclear Criticality Safety Specialist Training and Qualification (Draft)
7. BS3598:1998, Fissile Materials – Criticality Safety in Handling and Processing Recommendations
Neil Harris
15 November 2002
