ABSTRACT
Civil nuclear power operations have so far demonstrated a remarkable level of safety. Despite the near disaster of Three Mile Island and the Chernobyl catastrophe, we may rightly categorize civil nuclear installations as belonging to the class of high-hazard, low-risk organizations, or High Reliability Organizations. This high level of safety can only be understood as the result of the nuclear industry’s high safety standards from the very beginning of its development. These standards expressed themselves in a very conscientious design, high-quality manufacturing, effective regulation, and competent rulebound operations. Further, an important ingredient of strong safety performance may have been the trustful, safety-oriented cooperation of all relevant actors: manufacturers, utilities, regulators, consultants, and research institutions. Thus, the nuclear industry has in many ways set standards for safe operations in other hazard industries as well.
