Sellafield has presented its approach to continuous improvement to more than 400 nuclear industry leaders from 38 countries at the World Association of Nuclear Operators (WANO) General
Meeting in Tokyo.
Sellafield Ltd Chief Operating Officer Roddy Miller addressed the international gathering, held in Japan in September, where nuclear organisations discussed how to strengthen safety, develop workforce capabilities, manage operational risks and make effective use of emerging technologies.
The meeting also marked the launch of WANO’s new Culture of Continuous Improvement Framework, designed to help nuclear organisations embed learning and improvement into their everyday operations.
Miller outlined how Sellafield seeks to make continuous improvement a routine part of working culture rather than treating it as a standalone programme. The company encourages employees to identify opportunities to improve processes, learn systematically from experience and work collectively to resolve problems.
“Continuous improvement cannot become another initiative, programme or campaign. It has to be part of normal work: how we lead, learn, challenge, solve problems and self-correct every day,” Miller said.
The WANO General Meeting provides a platform for nuclear operators from around the world to exchange experience and share practices aimed at improving safety and operational performance.
Sellafield has maintained a relationship with WANO for more than 25 years. Through that partnership, the company has both drawn on international experience and contributed its own knowledge and lessons learned to the wider nuclear sector.
The company said international cooperation and the sharing of operational experience remain important to strengthening safety standards, improving performance and supporting the people who work across the nuclear industry.
The launch of WANO’s continuous improvement framework is intended to give nuclear organisations a common approach for developing cultures in which learning, challenge and problem-solving are integrated into everyday decision-making. Photo by Simon Ledingham, Wikimedia commons.
