Modeling and assessment of human and organization factors of nuclear safety culture in Saudi Arabia

Abstract

Saudi Arabia is planning to introduce a nuclear option into its energy mix. The Saudi National Atomic Energy project aims to adopt peaceful nuclear energy. A culture of nuclear safety is an essential element when it comes to constructing and operating nuclear power plants. Several studies have shown how workers adopting a safety culture differs from region to region. However, there is no available research study on the nuclear safety culture in Saudi Arabia. This paper aims to build a framework on what factors apply to nuclear safety culture and what is affected by it. This research used structural equation modeling based on a survey of 240 participants in Saudi Arabia from a wide range of sectors working with radioactive materials in the country. The data was validated before the analysis took place. A high-order construct was used to deeply analyze the data by evaluating five hypotheses. The research concluded that a nuclear safety culture significantly affects personal safety commitment, personal error behaviors, and violation behavior. Three dimensions, individual, management, and environment, directly affect a nuclear safety culture. Policymakers can use this study to evaluate the nuclear safety culture in Saudi Arabia.