Well-designed and documented management systems, including requirements for health, safety, environment, security, economics, and quality, play an important role in business success and sustainability of any organization. These systems are designed to identify and mitigate risks, prevent accidents, and protect workers, the public, and the environment from potential harm, as well as achieve compliance with regulatory requirements. Strong management systems are even more important in the nuclear industry due to the complexity of technological systems and potential risks associated with nuclear substances.

CSA Group standards provide guidance for nuclear facility operators, suppliers, and other stakeholders to help ensure that activities are conducted in a safe, controlled, and effective manner by addressing:

• development and implementation of sound management practices and controls for nuclear facilities across the fuel cycle, from uranium mines, mills and processing facilities through nuclear power plants and research and isotope processing facilities to waste management facilities
• quality assurance for software used in design, safety analysis, and supporting activities in high energy reactor applications
• development and implementation of configuration management at high energy reactor facilities to support consistency between design requirements, physical and operational configuration, and configuration information
• suppliers’ quality assurance programs, including requirements for nuclear safety culture, human performance, and systems to prevent infiltration of counterfeit, fraudulent, and suspect items.

These standards provide a holistic approach to management systems and quality assurance and can be applied in a graded manner commensurate with the safety significance and complexity of the work being performed and the level of risk.