DNFSB OUTLINES NEW POLICY ON RISK

The Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board is strengthening how it documents risks that underpin its recommendations to the Department of Energy in response to language in the Fiscal Year 2013 Defense Authorization Act. Lawmakers directed the Board to account for risk in its recommendations in the bill in an attempt to reform the Board, which has battled DOE over some of its recommendations. The language, however, was softened from original versions of the bill passed by the House, which took a more drastic approach to revamping the Board’s mandate that drew criticism from the Obama Administration, labor unions and other lawmakers. In an Aug. 15 policy statement, DNFSB Chairman Peter Winokur said the Board would “explicitly document its assessment of risk when drafting recommendations” to DOE when there is enough data to perform a quantitative risk assessment. The Board said it would analyze risk factors to address the credibility of events that could spark a safety hazard, the effectiveness of preventative and mitigative controls that are in place, and the consequences of a potential incident.