tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4170623839736191950.post7565066873093208524..comments2022-12-03T19:22:46.911-08:00Comments on Safetymatters: Safety culture information, analysis and management: Safety Culture at Tohoku Electric vs. Tokyo Electric Power Co. (TEPCO)Bob Cudlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08502712287881656493noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4170623839736191950.post-7488523463451008352014-03-20T14:05:03.869-07:002014-03-20T14:05:03.869-07:00Lew,
Thank you for elaborating on this recent ite...Lew,<br /><br />Thank you for elaborating on this recent item. I particularly want to take note of the expanded description of cause you cite from the NAIIC Report. While I think the Commission took a bold and needed stance about the too chummy state of nuclear program relations between TEPCO and the METI (responsible government ministry that included the nuclear oversight organization), I did regret that it chose to frame the issues involved in terms of western origin like "regulatory capture" and "nuclear safety culture." <br /><br />From what we know today, not every nuclear site had evolved under the same corporate value systems; nor did they emerge at a single point along the industry learning curve. What anyone who has followed post-WWII Japan's economic recovery would know is that it has had a strongly centralized industrial policy. <br /><br />But apparently this policy was not applied uniformly, or at least did not result in a single monolithic nuclear energy insider culture. But you would not know this from the One-Size-Fits-All rush to the strong independent nuclear regulator model of the US. <br /><br />Without a lot more historical insight about the differences observable with each nuclear operator and in the different local jurisdictions I, for one, am loathe to conclude that I gain much understanding from such simple conclusions statements as are quoted from the NAIIC or Ms. Ryu. <br /><br />It seems to me that in the past three years there has been too much rush to judgment from the US and IAEA about what needs improvement in Japan. There's is a strong and proud culture. They've done a lot of things very right (like 300 bullet trains per day from Tokyo to Osaka) what culture accounts for those achievements? I would learn more from watching them fix these issues from within their own programmatic strengths rather than watching them try to become more IAEA like just because we outnumber them.Bill Mullinsnoreply@blogger.com