The RSIS Centre for Non-Traditional Security Studies organised a special one-day lecture on “Nuclear Safety-Security Interface and Emergency Preparedness and Response” at the RSIS Keypoint on 19 June 2017. The special lecture was delivered by Dr. Edward Waller, Professor at the Faculty of Energy Systems and Nuclear Science, University of Ontario Institute of Technology (UOIT), Canada. 22 participants from government agencies and research institutes of NTU and NUS attended the lecture.

This lecture considered the similarities and differences between accidents and malicious acts involving nuclear or radiological material, and the contrast in response from planning, preparation, assessment, resourcing and execution. Specific topics included safety-security culture, security by design, material control and accountancy, reliability-centred maintenance and the use of modelling and simulation. A framework for emergency response personnel to work  with security responders was also presented for discussion. This lecture discussed, in broad terms, the major components related to international guidance on radiation emergency management, based primarily on IAEA GSR Part 7. It was proposed that the topics discussed form the basis of local training in emergency preparedness and response. This lecture is a collaboration on nuclear security education and research between two members of the International Nuclear Security Education Network (INSEN).

About the Speaker

Dr. Ed Waller is a Professor at the University of Ontario Institute of Technology (UOIT), in the Faculty of Energy Systems and Nuclear Science, Oshawa, Ontario, Canada. He is currently an Industrial Research Chair in Health Physics and Environmental Safety.

Ed earned his BSc in Physics and MScE in Chemical Engineering at the University of New Brunswick (UNB), his Masters in Nuclear Security at Technical University Delft (TUDelft), and his PhD in Nuclear Engineering at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, New York (RPI). He worked for over 15 years in industry for Science Applications International Corporation, primarily in threat assessment, health physics and applications of radiation. He is a member of the International Nuclear Security Education Network (INSEN), and is currently Working Group I (Exchange of Information and Development of Materials for Nuclear Security Education) Chairperson of INSEN. He has been invited to numerous consultancies at the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) for nuclear security document development, and has been Chair of these consultancies.

Dr Waller is a Professional Engineer (PEng), Certified Nuclear Security Professional (CNSP), Certified Associate Industrial Hygienist (CAIH) and Certified Health Physicist (CHP). He teaches radiation protection, health physics, environmental radioactivity, Monte Carlo methods, nuclear security and nuclear forensics at UOIT, and performs research in areas of nuclear security, emergency preparedness and response, radiation dosimetry, applied health physics, radiation safety, and threat assessment.