The training course Comprehensive Inspection Exercise (CIE), which is a part of the training programme Introductory Course on Agency Safeguards (ICAS), organized by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), was held at the Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) Dukovany in the Czech Republic, in the period from 2nd till 6th June 2014. The training course at the NPP Dukovany is one of thirteen active tasks, through which the Czech Republic contributes to increasing of the effectiveness and efficiency of the IAEA's safeguards in frame of the Czech Republic Support Programme.
This course has crowned several months of theoretical training of new candidates to become the IAEA safeguards inspectors. This year the course was attended by nine foreign students, who had been led by experienced IAEA instructors for the whole week. Experts of the State Office for Nuclear Safety and employees of the Dukovany Power Plant also participated in the preparation of the CIE course and together played an important role not only as co-organizers of this prestigious international event but also as lectors playing active roles during the presentations and in several model situations. This was the fourth time the course has been held in the Czech Republic in this form and thus followed preceding training courses.
The aim of the CIE course is to prepare new candidates for their new occupation as IAEA safeguards inspectors. The training course was focused on practical skills and activities, which included especially activities conducted by the inspector-candidates at the NPP´s reactor hall. Among the most important techniques, the inspector-candidates acquainted themselves with the usage of several types of sealing systems (metallic, electronic and optical systems), installation and maintenance of the IAEA´s containment and surveillance measures installed at the NPP and verification of fresh and spent nuclear fuel. A part of the course was also dedicated to practicing the Design Information Verification (DIV ) as well as the Complementary Access (CA ) to the radiochemical laboratory.
The course was completed with practical test of professional skills which students acquired throughout the whole ICAS training course. During the final practical exercise the participants had to convert their theoretical knowledge into practice and employ learned techniques in practical tasks which were then evaluated by their instructors. Passing the exam was an important milestone for the candidates in their professional career, because without the final certificate they are not permitted to work for the IAEA on inspector's positions. For this reason, students came up to the study responsibly and successfully completed the course by passing inspectors´ exam.
Foto 1: Installation of the IAEA´s containment and surveillance systems
Foto 2: Evaluation of electronic seals
Foto 3: Measuring of the uranium spectra of the fresh nuclear fuel
Foto 4: Detection of the spent nuclear fuel using the so-called Cherenkov radiation
