Human factor in emergency occurrence at NPP during the pandemic COVID-19: new potential risks and recommendations to minimize them

COVID-19 pandemic is an emergency that spread across the planet. It threatens lives and health of the population, with many dead and injured. Also, during pandemic there was (and continues to be) a violation of normal living conditions, significant material damage to economies of different countries. Quarantine restrictions affected social, educational, cultural and spiritual spheres of society. There is an urgent threat to operation of critical infrastructure as the pandemic led to large numbers of hospitalized or self-isolated people and being treated at home. At present, the operation of critical infrastructure, and in particular nuclear power plants, is strategically important for the proper functioning of any country. Also, the research describes causes of emergencies at nuclear power plants and identifies another factor - the mass disease of NPP personnel or their relatives on COVID-19. It is determined that timely detection and appropriate work to restore mental health during the pandemic is no less important area of work along with providing medical care to population. Stress associated with uncertainty, threat to health, can have negative consequences for well-being and mental health of workers. Depression, emotional exhaustion, anxiety, irritability, suicidal thoughts, etc. can also be consequences. Socio-psychological support especially for critical infrastructure workers is important to promote mental health during COVID-19 pandemic. Recommendations for socio-psychological support of NPP personnel were developed. Specialized mobile applications are described as convenient and economical way for primary psychological care.

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The US Commercial Nuclear Power Plants and Their Potential Risks

Nuclear Power Plant Emergencies in the USA ◽

10.1007/978-3-319-50343-1_1 ◽

2017 ◽

pp. 1-37

Author(s):

Dean Kyne

Keyword(s):

Nuclear Power ◽

Power Plants ◽

Nuclear Power Plants ◽

The Us ◽

Potential Risks

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The Model of Evaluating the Risk Potential for Critical Infrastructure Plants of Nuclear Power Plants

2018 Eleventh International Conference "Management of large-scale system development" (MLSD ◽

10.1109/mlsd.2018.8551910 ◽

2018 ◽

Cited By ~ 10

Author(s):

Andrey Kalashnikov ◽

Ekaterina Sakrutina

Keyword(s):

Nuclear Power ◽

Power Plants ◽

Nuclear Power Plants ◽

Critical Infrastructure ◽

Risk Potential

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Preliminary Study on the Relation between the Coping Patterns and Mental Health of Radiation Control Personnel and Nondestructive Inspectors Engaged in the Periodic Inspections of Nuclear Power Plants

Journal of Occupational Health ◽

10.1539/joh.13-0065-fs ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 56 (3) ◽

pp. 169-177 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Chika Nagaoka ◽

Yukiko Uchida

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Nuclear Power ◽

Power Plants ◽

Nuclear Power Plants ◽

Radiation Control ◽

Preliminary Study ◽

Periodic Inspections ◽

Coping Patterns

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Contribution to Assessments of Impacts on the Critical Infrastructure

Applied Mechanics and Materials ◽

10.4028/www.scientific.net/amm.656.578 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 656 ◽

pp. 578-587

Author(s):

David Valis

Keyword(s):

Risk Management ◽

Fuzzy Logic ◽

Nuclear Power ◽

Power Plants ◽

Nuclear Power Plants ◽

Critical Infrastructure ◽

Potential Threat

Assessing the vulnerability of critical infrastructure objects is of major concern when dealing with the process of dependability and risk management. Special attention is paid to the objects of higher interest, such as nuclear power plants. In spite of the protection of these objects, there is still a certain level of a potential threat. The aim of the paper is to describe a possible way of assessments of the consequences when attacking on an object of critical infrastructure. Several characteristics of the impacts outcomes were obtained. For this reason, as well as for modelling of adversary ́s behaviour impact, fuzzy logic tools have been used.

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Low-power nuclear power plants in the context of electric power systems transformation

Nuclear Energy and Technology ◽

10.3897/nucet.7.65315 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 7 (1) ◽

pp. 55-59

Author(s):

Ashot A. Sarkisov ◽

Sergey V. Antipov ◽

Dmitry O. Smolentsev ◽

Vyacheslav P. Bilashenko ◽

Mikhail N. Kobrinsky ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Power Systems ◽

Low Power ◽

Electric Power ◽

Distributed Generation ◽

Nuclear Power ◽

Power Plants ◽

Nuclear Power Plants ◽

The Arctic ◽

Negative Consequences ◽

Power Sources

Increasing economic importance of the Arctic, further intensification of northern sea routes, and exceptional sensitivity of the arctic natural environment to anthropogenic impacts are fundamental factors for a comprehensive study of environmental aspects in the application of innovative technologies for the development of infrastructure in the Arctic. Despite the growing interest in low-power nuclear power plants as a distributed generation facility, their possible application in technologically isolated power systems does not lose relevance. The development of both the Arctic and Far Eastern regions of the Russian Federation presents great opportunities and demand for the use of nuclear power sources. Also, development programs for the Russian arctic zone imply a significant increase in the role and number of nuclear power facilities, in other words of potential radiation-hazardous facilities. Large-scale use of nuclear-powered installations in the Arctic necessitates advanced development of a scientifically grounded and modern forecasting system as well as assessments of threats and risks in case of possible radiation emergencies at nuclear- and radiation-hazardous facilities. Also, the development of proposals for necessary measures to minimize negative consequences of such emergencies is required. This is especially true for the case of compact placement of industrial, infrastructure and residential facilities in the Arctic in the immediate vicinity of nuclear facilities. The paper demonstrates that the demand for low-power nuclear power plants and their competitiveness will grow steadily in the conditions of electric-power industry decentralization, further spread of distributed generation and the development of technologically isolated power systems. Approaches to the generation of a low nuclear-power system based on the philosophy of industrialization of production and centralized management are presented. Special features of the environmental impact assessment of low-power nuclear power plants for the development of a methodology to study the radio-ecological hazard related problems are provided.

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Contribution to Diffusion Processes Application in the Area of Critical Infrastructure Security Assessment

Applied Mechanics and Materials ◽

10.4028/www.scientific.net/amm.436.539 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 436 ◽

pp. 539-548 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

David Valis ◽

Katarzyna Pietrucha-Urbanik

Keyword(s):

Risk Management ◽

Nuclear Power ◽

Power Plants ◽

Nuclear Power Plants ◽

Diffusion Processes ◽

Critical Infrastructure ◽

Security Assessment ◽

Potential Threat

Assessing the vulnerability of critical infrastructure objects is of major concern when dealing with the process of dependability and risk management. Special attention is paid to the objects of higher interest, such as nuclear power plants. In spite of the protection of these objects, there is still a certain level of a potential threat. The aim of the paper is to describe a possible way of attacking on the object in order to get into a particular part of it. Several characteristics of an adversary ́s attempt were obtained. For this reason as well as for modelling adversary ́s behaviour diffusion processes have been used.

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