The UK Office for Nuclear Regulation is working in partnership with its Vietnamese counterpart the Vietnam Agency for Radiation and Nuclear Safety (VARANS) to advise the Vietnamese organisation on a wide range of regulatory matters including the proposed new atomic energy law, licensing frameworks, inspection capability, design assessment of new reactors, and detailed technical approaches to nuclear safety analysis across a wide range of topics (engineering, fault analysis, PSA, hazards, human factors etc).
David Watson a senior nuclear inspector has been seconded to Hanoi to work with VARANS. Watson said "Im really looking forward to the challenge of helping VARANS develop their organisation, licensing and safety assessment capabilities and helping to expand best practice globally. I also believe that my exposure to diverse thinking and approaches of a different regulatory culture will be of benefit when I return to ONR and as we seek to grow our own organisation to face the growing challenges of the nuclear sector in the UK."
Watson has extensive knowledge in the nuclear sector and ONR and has led on projects such as set-up and delivery of the first Generic Design Assessment in the UK and he also completed a two year secondment to the French regulators (ASN) and remains involved in its nuclear safety advisory committee.
The partnership with VARANS is supported by the UK's Foreign and Commonwealth Office.