Technical Support

The TSG comprises the following support functions:

• Licensing and Regulation
• Configuration Management
• Information Technology
• Training

Licensing and Regulation

The licensing and regulation aspects of operating, maintaining and, when necessary, modifying the OPAL reactor are significant and need to be managed. This is done by a Licensing Officer, whose primary objectives include:

• Ensuring the OPAL safety case is maintained consistent with ANSTO?s requirements and with the relevant regulatory requirements.
• Providing technical expertise in relation to licensing and regulatory issues in support of Reactor Operations.
• Participating in communications between Reactor Operations and the Australian nuclear regulator, ARPANSA, including the preparation and submission of quarterly licence compliance reports.

The Licensing Officer is the single point of contact between Reactor Operations and ARPANSA at the working level.

Configuration Management

Every significant activity carried out within Reactor Operations is formally documented. These include all reactor operating, utilisation and maintenance procedures, engineering projects, system surveillances, nuclear analyses, laboratory testing and chemistry sampling. This documentation is configured and managed to meet statutory legislation, regulation, quality assurance and environmental requirements at international, national and state levels.

This is done through a Business Management System (or BMS), which categorises documents into General Business Documents and Operational Documents.  The former category includes such documents as the Quality Policy and Quality Manual, Process Procedures, and their supporting instructions and forms. General Business documents are applicable to all employees of Reactor Operations.  Operational Documents consist of a range of manuals, procedures, instructions and forms that relate specifically to an operational function, e.g. Operations, Utilisation or Engineering and Maintenance. As such, these documents are uniquely identified and are used only by the staff employed within the respective sections.

During the development of BMS documents, each one is proposed, drafted and extensively reviewed before being approved and issued via the Reactor Operations intranet.

Reactor Operations utilises a process approach to operating the reactor and in supplying products and services in a manner that ensures the following objectives are achieved:

• Safe operation of the reactor by complying with regulatory, statutory, health, safety and environmental requirements using appropriate international best practice.
• Efficiently operations that meet customer expectations.
• Effective use of the BMS through continual improvement.

The Configuration Management Section provides support and expertise to ensure that the BMS documentation meets these stated objectives.

The BMS is modelled in accordance with AS/NZS ISO 9001 and AS/NZS 14001 and is subject to regular auditing to these standards by an external auditing body. Additionally, the BMS is subject to regular and comprehensive internal audits and a business review process (management reviews) to ensure that it is consistent with both the organisational and divisional objectives, and is compliant with all the applicable safety, quality, environment and regulatory requirements.

Information Technology

Reactor Operations has its own dedicated Information Technology (IT) Support, which is linked to and has a close working relationship with, ANSTO?s central IT Services (ITS) group.

Reactor Operations IT Support provides assistance to meet the day-to-day operational requirements of the Reactor Operations? IT resources, located on the ANSTO corporate network infrastructure and the OPAL Reactor infrastructure.

Among the essential services provided are IT security, support and administration for workstation and server hardware, and network infrastructure.

It also offers support for a variety of operating system environments; administers staff corporate IT accounts and the staff corporate email infrastructure; and offers software application support to ANSTO corporate applications and systems applications related to the reactor.

It supports a wide range of systems within the reactor, including Irradiation Facilities Scheduling System, Silicon Scheduling and Irradiation, Data Diode system, Reactor Simulator, Reactor Operational Status, and Gas and Ion Chromatographs.

Training

The Technical Support Group also incorporates a Training section.

The Training section is responsible for comprehensive and programmed training, re-training, accreditation, re-accreditation, authorisation and re-authorisation of all OPAL Reactor staff.

As with all ANSTO?s operations, safety is the main focus and is included at all levels and in all types of training, for example when instructing employees on radiation protection.