N293-12 (R2022)

Overview

Fires present a special risk to nuclear plants because they can knock out cables that control-room operators need to safely cool down a reactor. N293-12 - Fire Protection For Nuclear Power Plants standard provides the minimum fire protection requirements for the design, construction, commissioning, operation and decommissioning of nuclear power plants (NPP), including structures, systems and components that directly support the plant and the protected area. This updated 2012 edition will enhance safety, provide an opportunity to reduce operational costs

This standard is “technology neutral” and addresses the needs of a wider nuclear community by expanding its use to non-CANDU NPP technologies. This standard applies to plants in which requirements are referenced as a license condition by the nuclear regulator

Preface

This is the fourth edition of CSA N293, Fire protection for nuclear power plants. It supersedes the previous editions published in 1987, 1995, and 2007.

This edition of CSA N293 includes changes arising from new knowledge, operating experience, and comments from users of the Standard. These changes include clarification of the Standard’s scope and significant reorganization of its content. CSA N293 has also been revised to be a more objective-based Standard, to be consistent with the 2010 editions of the National Building Code of Canada (NBCC) and National Fire Code of Canada (NFCC). A CSA Group standard currently under development (CSA N393) will address situations outside the scope of this Standard.

Fire protection concepts and performance requirements are detailed in Clause 5, and more detailed requirements for achieving these concepts and performance are provided in Clauses 6 to 11. In addition, explanatory material and special formatting have been added to clarify the content: an asterisk (*) beside a clause number identifies those clauses for which further information is provided in Annex A.

Users of this Standard are reminded that the site selection, design, manufacture, construction, installation, commissioning, operation, and decommissioning of nuclear facilities in Canada are subject to the Nuclear Safety and Control Act and Regulations. The Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission might impose requirements additional to those specified in this Standard.

The CSA N-Series Standards provide an interlinked set of requirements for the management of nuclear facilities and activities.

The CSA N286 Standard provides overall direction to management to develop and implement sound management practices and controls, while the other CSA nuclear Standards provide specific requirement for the technical requirements that support the management system.

This standard works in harmony with CSA N286 and does not duplicate the generic requirements of CSA N286, however it may provide more specific direction for those requirements.

This Standard was prepared by the Technical Committee on Fire Protection for Nuclear Power Plants, under the jurisdiction of the Strategic Steering Committee on Nuclear Standards, and has been formally approved by the Technical Committee.

Scope

1.1*

This Standard provides the minimum fire protection requirements for the design, construction, commissioning, operation, and decommissioning of nuclear power plants, including structures, systems, and components (SSCs) that directly support the plant and the protected area.

1.2*

External events such as an aircraft crash or terrorist attack are outside the scope of this Standard.

1.3

In CSA Standards, shall is used to express a requirement, i.e., a provision that the user is obliged to satisfy in order to comply with the standard; should is used to express a recommendation or that which is advised but not required; may is used to express an option or that which is permissible within the limits of the standard; and can is used to express possibility or capability.

Notes accompanying clauses do not include requirements or alternative requirements; the purpose of a note accompanying a clause is to separate from the text explanatory or informative material.

Notes to tables and figures are considered part of the table or figure and may be written as requirements.

Annexes are designated normative (mandatory) or informative (non-mandatory) to define their application.

1.4

The values given in SI (metric) units are the standard. The values given in parentheses are for information only.

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