Departmental Representative to the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board

Board Safety Oversight Principles

As described in the Board's Strategic Plan, the Board executes its safety oversight responsibility according to the following principles:

• The primary responsibility for ensuring protection of the health and safety of the public and workers, and protection of the environment belongs with DOE line managers and extends to all levels from the Secretary of Energy to the workers on the floor.
• As an external action-forcing agency, the Board influences DOE line management actions to the extent needed to achieve safety objectives.
• Effective safety management demands that safety expectations be clearly defined and tailored to specific hazards at all levels -- site, facility, or activity.
• Technical expertise is required to define controls commensurate with the identified hazards and to ensure compliance.
• Safety oversight responsibilities for defense nuclear facilities will not be relinquished until radiological hazards have been mitigated and until it is reasonable to transfer responsibilities to other agencies such as individual states or EPA for final cleanup, demolition, and environmental restoration activities.