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According to the IAEA’s Nuclear Security Series No. 7 (NSS 7), ‘Nuclear Security Culture’, effective nuclear security culture is underpinned by an organisation’s beliefs and attitudes, namely that a credible threat exists – and that nuclear security is important.
NSS 7 notes that managers “are responsible for ensuring that appropriate standards of behaviour and performance associated with security are set and that expectations as to the application of these standards are well understood.” However, managers do not work in a vacuum and recent research by King’s College London has highlighted the importance of organisational leadership in nuclear security, particularly in high-level representation (for example at the senior leadership or board level).
Factors which can lead to complacency at a nuclear site include: failure of senior management to act as role models, not updating procedures, punishing or victimising those who report issues, not providing feedback or lessons learned from security incidents, security not being prioritised, and a general human disposition of scepticism and denial. In addition, an organisation that is not constantly trying to improve its performance will become complacent.
An example of complacency is an incident at Peach Bottom nuclear power plant in Pennsylvania, US where armed security guards were found asleep in 2007. Reportedly, staff routinely slept on duty while their colleagues covered for them. Refusal to participate in this ‘team culture’, addressing the issue, or reporting the problem were not considered appropriate by colleagues.
By addressing motivation and staff behaviours, a strong security culture however would take this poor performance into account as a lesson learned, proceed to reduce human error, and build an atmosphere of respect for security personnel. Furthermore, a visible security policy, staff code of conduct, clear roles and responsibilities, and encouraging a questioning attitude amongst personnel should foster a feeling of personal accountability when it comes to security.
Further Reading:
Attkisson, S., 'Asleep at the Power Plant', CBS News, 2 November 2007
