Working Party on Nuclear Criticality Safety (WPNCS)
The Working Party on Nuclear Criticality Safety (WPNCS) deals with technical and scientific issues relevant to criticality safety. Specific areas of interest include (but are not limited to) investigations of static and transient configurations encountered in the nuclear fuel cycle. These include fuel fabrication, transport and storage. The WPNCS's objectives are to:
exchange information on national programmes in the area of criticality safety;
guide, promote and coordinate high-priority activities of common interest to the international criticality safety community and to establish co-operation;
monitor the progress of all activities and report to the Nuclear Science Committee (NSC);
publish databases, handbooks and reports;
facilitate communications within the international criticality safety community through relevant websites;
co-ordinate the ongoing series of International Conferences on Nuclear Criticality Safety (ICNC), to be held every four years;
co-ordinate WPNCS activities with other working groups within the NEA and in other international organisations to avoid duplication of activities;
provide a technical basis for the activities of other international organisations (e.g. International Organizations for Standardization (ISO), International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)).