Nuclear Industry Organizations: Shaped by Accidents

This paper introduces the concept of the VSM method being used to represent the organization of NPPs in responding to accidents. The Fukushima accident is addressed as a method for the examination of the VSM method and its utility is seeing the ‘big’ picture as far as the decision-making aspects of organizations are concerned. The impact of accidents upon the NPP management operations is covered and how the organization has to change following an accident is covered. The paper points out the fact that often accident situations and their responses are affected by the long term decisions of management. The decision of TEPCO to disregard advice on the possibility of a large tsunami occurring was a critical fault and preventive methods should have been considered along with the risk of not taking actions. Recommendations are made for improvements in emergency procedures during accident control and mitigation, the procedures should be flexible and based upon something like the symptom-based procedure approach and should consider beyond design-basis events.