Industry oversight
We comply with all international declarations, conventions and treaties that relate to our businesses. In Canada, the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) provides oversight of our operations, as well as provincial regulators. In the United States, we are regulated by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) and state regulatory bodies.
Following the events in Japan in 2011, the CNSC asked us to review the risk management and emergency preparedness processes at all our Canadian sites. Third party experts carried out these reviews and concluded that the system in place at our operations – our five levels of defence provides an effective barrier against the potential effects of a natural disaster. Similar assessments were also conducted at our US operations.
Defense in depth – our five levels of defence
Level one:
Facility design and operating procedures- Safety goals, features and margins are paramount in the design of our facilities. Operations teams ensure safety protocols are consistently followed and strictly adhered to by all employees and contractors.
Level two:
Equipment design, monitoring and backup- Cameco uses both inherent and engineered design features to minimize or exclude uncontrolled responses. Emergency generators and uninterrupted power supplies, and potential issues related to reliability and aging are closely and regularly monitored.
Level three:
Fail-safe controls- In the event of a natural disaster, appropriate provisions are in place, including fail-safe designs that lead the plant from a controlled state through to a safe shut down. Barriers are in place to keep radioactive material safely confined.
Level four:
Emergency preparedness- Safety systems, training, drills, emergency planning, and severe accident management and evacuation procedures keep employees educated and aware of what to do should a natural disaster or accident occur.
Level five:
Emergency response teams- Emergency response teams, firefighting capability and emergency medical services are available at all times.