INITIATING CULTURE CHANGE | COMMENTARY
Suppliers who help site license companies streamline the safety case process will be rewarded through differentiated service quality and intellectual property from new approaches. Image source: Sizewell C
The review states that more proportionality is needed to avoid excessive process burden, especially for lower risk activities. To address this, processes should be reviewed and prioritised for their potential to significantly reduce friction. In addition, different organisations interpret the requirements for regulatory compliance differently. But if industry could pool its insights, it would help the adoption of approaches that are both efficient and safe. The review also cites disproportionate size and
complexity of nuclear safety cases as a key issue. Solving this will require cooperation from multiple sides. Site license companies can explore more simplified and standardised processes – especially for low hazard activities such as dismantling facilities where the radioactive material has been removed – as well as engineered solutions. This may require making challenging management system changes upfront, but the medium-term efficiency benefits will more than justify the initial work. Suppliers have a role, too. They will need to adopt
shorter, less time-consuming development cycles, which could potentially mean less revenue per project in the near term. Yet suppliers who help site license companies streamline the safety case process will be rewarded far beyond any short-term dip in revenues through differentiated service quality and intellectual property from new approaches.
Adoption of digital technologies and AI Recommendation 41 talks specifically about the need to establish a nuclear digital strategy to accelerate the take up of digital technologies, including AI, to modernise approaches to whole-life safety and regulation. This, however, should be more than a digital strategy but bring change on the shop floor, in workers’ day-to-day activity and in what they access on their laptops. The supply chain has the capability to use AI to automate or speed up many types of engineering design and safety management activities. There are numerous AI and digital use cases being explored at all levels, but many of these remain at pilot stage. Organisations need to move beyond
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this to apply a ‘productionisation’ mindset – a firm, top-down intent to scale and embed across the organisation. One common mistake is focusing too much on the technology itself. Ultimately the adoption of digital technologies, including AI, is as much a people challenge as a technical one – changing habits, behaviours and ways of working at the individual level is key. An important technique is centring the development of
digital tools around the user and relentlessly focusing on removing frictions and mundane work, as this maximises the chances of adoption. It is also important that digital technologies aren’t viewed as replacing people’s jobs. Using technology to automate administrative tasks can free up people to move on to higher value adding activities, that they will get far more satisfaction from doing. This should be key in the messaging to workers. Industry now has an unprecedented opportunity to drive meaningful change in delivery performance whilst maintaining safety outcomes. This can be achieved by developing short, focused actions plans structured around three change agendas – culture, process and technology. Organisations should be accountable for their own plans, but also explore how to work together across company boundaries to share learning, maximise impact and unlock the full potential of the sector. ■
A strategy to accelerate the take up of digital technologies, including AI, is needed to modernise approaches to whole-life safety and regulation. Image source: OECD NEA
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