ANS & ASME form Joint Risk Management Standards Committee

The American Nuclear Society (ANS) and the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) have formed a new Joint Committee on Nuclear Risk Management (JCNRM).  

According to JCNRM co-chair Dr. Robert J. Budnitz, “This committee will provide industry-wide probabilistic-risk-assessment (PRA) methodology standards that will vastly enhance PRA analyses, activities, and safety of U.S. nuclear plants.”

The formation of the joint committee was in response to industry and regulator feedback to harmonize industry standards by using the same language, format, and level of detail of the requirements.

JCNRM co-chair C. Rick Grantom further explained, “The combined efforts of ASME and ANS to form the JCNRM serve to provide PRA requirements for developing robust risk analyses.  JCNRM will also support other ASME and ANS standards efforts to incorporate risk insights into their standards products for improving nuclear industry safety and cost efficiencies worldwide.”

Beginning in 1998, ANS and ASME coordinated their work informally, and together developed the first generation of methodology standards for conducting Level 1 PRAs for large light-water reactor power plants operating at full-power conditions.

The JCNRM main committee is comprised of more than 30 PRA experts, but its work includes several subcommittees and working groups involving about 120 volunteers. Most members are from the United States, with some international participation.

If you are interested in becoming a volunteer participant in the JCNRM standards-development work, please contact Patricia Schroeder.