Challenges for Nuclear Safety
from the Viewpoint of Natural Hazard
Risk Management
Tatsuya Itoi and Naoto Sekimura
Abstract Lessons learned from the Fukushima Daiichi NPP accident and challenges for enhancement of the concept of nuclear safety are summarized from the
viewpoint of risk management as well as the concept of defense in depth, for the
protection against natural hazards, i.e., design against natural hazards and emergency response combined with regional disaster prevention and mitigation. The
concept of resilience is also discussed, as a means for refining the fundamental
concept of nuclear safety.
Keywords Fukushima Daiichi NPP accident Á Earthquake Á Tsunami Á Nuclear
safety
1 Introduction
It is well understood among the public as well as engineers that the use of nuclear
energy involves potential risk associated with accidents. This is clearly recognized
by experiences in which the potential risk has become obvious, e.g., during the
Fukushima Daiichi NPP accident. Analysis of the experiences before, during, and
after the accident is considered essential to discuss the safety of nuclear power in
the future. In this chapter, future challenges addressed by several reports on the
Fukushima Daiichi NPP accident are summarized from the viewpoint of natural
hazard risk management. It is also discussed that the fundamental concept of
nuclear safety, i.e. defense in depth, can be enhanced by introducing the concept of
risk as well as resilience.
T. Itoi (&) Á N. Sekimura
The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
e-mail: itoi@n.t.u-tokyo.ac.jp
N. Sekimura
e-mail: sekimura@n.t.u-tokyo.ac.jp
© The Author(s) 2017
J. Ahn et al. (eds.), Resilience: A New Paradigm of Nuclear Safety,
DOI 10.1007/978-3-319-58768-4_6
67
from the Viewpoint of Natural Hazard
Risk Management
Tatsuya Itoi and Naoto Sekimura
Abstract Lessons learned from the Fukushima Daiichi NPP accident and challenges for enhancement of the concept of nuclear safety are summarized from the
viewpoint of risk management as well as the concept of defense in depth, for the
protection against natural hazards, i.e., design against natural hazards and emergency response combined with regional disaster prevention and mitigation. The
concept of resilience is also discussed, as a means for refining the fundamental
concept of nuclear safety.
Keywords Fukushima Daiichi NPP accident Á Earthquake Á Tsunami Á Nuclear
safety
1 Introduction
It is well understood among the public as well as engineers that the use of nuclear
energy involves potential risk associated with accidents. This is clearly recognized
by experiences in which the potential risk has become obvious, e.g., during the
Fukushima Daiichi NPP accident. Analysis of the experiences before, during, and
after the accident is considered essential to discuss the safety of nuclear power in
the future. In this chapter, future challenges addressed by several reports on the
Fukushima Daiichi NPP accident are summarized from the viewpoint of natural
hazard risk management. It is also discussed that the fundamental concept of
nuclear safety, i.e. defense in depth, can be enhanced by introducing the concept of
risk as well as resilience.
T. Itoi (&) Á N. Sekimura
The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
e-mail: itoi@n.t.u-tokyo.ac.jp
N. Sekimura
e-mail: sekimura@n.t.u-tokyo.ac.jp
© The Author(s) 2017
J. Ahn et al. (eds.), Resilience: A New Paradigm of Nuclear Safety,
DOI 10.1007/978-3-319-58768-4_6
67