Diagnostics and advancements in the safety culture at the NPP site were the main subjects of the WANO support mission taking place on September 16-20, 2019, at the Rostov NPP.

The mission in the format of an assistance visit comprised experts from the United Kingdom, Germany, Spain, the USA, Russia, and Ukraine. This mission concluded a series of visits dedicated to the safety culture, which have been taking place at all Russian NPPs and at the headquarters of the Rosenergoatom Joint-Stock Company for the past three years. Walk-round checks and observations, interviews with the management and the plant staff were held at the Rostov NPP.

On September 20, the final meeting of the WANO and the NPP’s management took place. The parties thanked each other for the effective collaboration, transparency and friendliness that led to the successful completion of the mission.

Conrad Dubé, the head of the international group of experts, said: ‘We would like to specifically note the top-notch professionalism and transparency of the Rostov NPP team, and we hope that our recommendations will help you further advance in terms of the safety culture’.

The experts have come up with eight recommendations to the NPP staff based on the global best practices, noted 62 positive facts and five strengths.

‘The work you have delivered is extremely important’, Alexander Nezherya, the director ad interim at the Rostov NPP, stated when expressing his gratitude to the WANO mission. The global best practices you have suggested for the Rostov NPP will undoubtedly spur higher safety culture.

The work activities were summarized in a report outlining specific recommendations on how to improve the operational efficiency of the Rostov NPP in that regard.

The effectiveness of the WANO support mission’s recommendations will be evaluated in one year after this visit.