The Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA) Working Group on Human and Organisational Factors (WGHOF) recently held its 38th plenary meeting at the NEA headquarters in Boulogne-Billancourt, France, with participation by 30 delegates from 16 countries. During the event, delegates exchanged insights on the central role of people in the complexity of nuclear installations across all phases — project development, design, construction, operation, and decommissioning. Discussions focused on identifying key challenges and sharing practical approaches and tools to better support leaders in the nuclear industry.
The group reviewed the outcomes of the ongoing programme of work performed by different task groups. These covered: human and organisational factors (HOF) and the main challenges for small modular reactors (SMRs); the nuclear sector’s response to prolonged disruption, focusing on strengthening organisational resilience to manage unexpected events while ensuring safety; lessons learnt from Boeing 737 MAX accidents in the areas of HOF and safety culture and how they relate to existing nuclear regulatory practices; good practices for identifying HOF issues from event analysis processes; and trust as an industry and organisational capability.
The event also provided an opportunity to gain deeper insights from NEA members on safety culture and human and organisational factors in decommissioning, as well as on the development of organisational learning and knowledge management capabilities. These contributions shed light on the challenges encountered and lessons learnt in engaging people and organisations, highlighting how stronger human and organisational practices can enhance adaptability, improve responses to emerging issues and ultimately ensure nuclear safety.
NEA publications presenting the outcomes of the WGHOF activities are expected to be released in 2026.
