Nuclear security culture is defined by the IAEA as, ‘The assembly of characteristics, attitudes and behaviour of individuals, organisations and institutions which serves as a means to support and enhance nuclear security’.

It is people who tend to contribute to nuclear security related incidents. As such, nuclear security culture plays an important role in ensuring vigilance, and that sustained measures are taken to prevent and combat the threat of sabotage or the use of nuclear or radioactive materials for malicious acts. However, culture is a nebulous concept, and it is difficult to artificially implement or change. Indeed, the importance of culture within nuclear security only began to receive attention recently, mainly as a result of the Nuclear Security Summits.

The characteristics of an effective nuclear security culture can be divided into three layers (according to Edgar Schein's model of organisational culture and leadership). These can be summarised as: basic assumptions (beliefs and attitudes, for example: a credible threat exists); values and formalised statements (this includes behaviours, e.g. personal accountability, motivation, vigilance); and visible manifestations of organisational culture (such as management systems, e.g. training, feedback processes, self-assessment).

Factors which encourage a strong nuclear security culture include effective leadership, engaging employees in security, managing performance, and engagement with external stakeholders.

Further Reading:

Chapman, G., Downes, R., Eldridge, C., Hobbs, C. Lentini, L., Moran, M., Muti, A. and Salisbury, D., Security Culture: An Educational Handbook of Nuclear & Non-Nuclear Case Studies, Centre for Science and Security (CSSS), King's College London, 2017

International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Nuclear Security Culture, IAEA Nuclear Security Series: Implementing Guide, No. 7, Vienna, 2008

Schein, E., Organizational Culture and Leadership, San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 1985