UK Working Party on Criticality (WPC)

About Us

The UK Working Party on Criticality (WPC) is a non-executive national committee focussing on criticality safety issues up to, but not including, experimental and in-core power reactor operations. The issues considered are relevant to fabrication, transportation, storage and other operations relating to nuclear materials (e.g. new build, enrichment, reprocessing, decommissioning and long-term waste management).

The objectives of the group are to:

  • Provide a forum for the discussion and distribution of information of relevance to criticality safety in the UK, particularly the sharing and development of industry good practice.
  • Disseminate regulatory issues of relevance to criticality safety and facilitate the development of a UK criticality community view on such matters (and response, where appropriate). 
  • Promote establishing UK databases and standards relevant to criticality safety.
  • Guide, promote, co-ordinate and encourage co-operation on high priority activities of common interest to the UK criticality safety community, e.g. through identifying and establishing appropriate Working Groups and maintaining a ‘high priority issues’ list.
  • Monitor progress and publish reports of the meetings of those Working Groups established by the Committee.
  • Provide opportunities for the continued professional development of criticality safety personnel, e.g. through involvement in the Working Groups, attendance at appropriate Workshops or providing common industry training modules.
  • Co-ordinate work with other organisations to avoid overlap of activities (e.g. the Shielding Forum).
  • Promote international collaboration in the field of criticality safety, e.g. by establishing co-operative arrangements with criticality professionals and bodies in other countries.

Programme of Work

  • Two main meetings are held each year, in May and November.
  • A continuing training workshop is held in conjunction with the November meeting.
  • Members participate in various sub-group activities and other collaborations, including the review of ONR TAGs and draft international standards.

Useful Documents

Scope & Objectives of the UK Working Party on Criticality

Good Practice Guide to Criticality Detection at UK Nuclear Licenced Sites Issue 1 (2017) (0.7MB)

Links to Other Sites

www.criticality.org.uk - UK Working Party on Criticality

Contact Us

For information regarding the UK Working Party on Criticality please contact:

Fred Winstanley, Chair
Dave Peacock - Sponsor

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