Maintaining Disciplined Operations at Defense Nuclear Facilities
Multiple Sites, Savannah River Site
Despite advanced safety controls and features, people must still perform operations—they can and do make mistakes—which can cause accidents that release radioactive materials impacting the safety of the public and workers. Structured and disciplined operations at nuclear facilities minimize the likelihood and consequences of human error or technical and organizational system failures.
Performing Field Oversight of Nuclear Operations
Our Work
DNFSB’s resident inspectors are tasked with providing real-time information gathered through their safety oversight to the Board and its headquarters staff. Resident inspectors also frequently perform safety oversight that identifies nuclear safety issues. Many of these are captured in weekly, publicly available reports from resident inspectors.
Our Safety Impact
Safety issues raised by resident inspectors are frequently resolved on a staff-to-staff level through providing informal and actionable feedback to site personnel without a need for further elevation. As an example, after DNFSB’s field oversight at the Savannah River Site in 2023, DOE site personnel improved how investigators learn and improve from facility mishaps.
Last Updated: March 23, 2026