Post-earthquake actions

Post-earthquake actions should be planned for a nuclear power plant, even if an automatic scram system is installed. 

The control room operator should be informed of the occurrence of an earthquake by means of the installed seismic instrumentation. Subsequent responses should include an evaluation of recorded earthquake motion in comparison with the specific design of safety related items, a walkdown evaluation of the damage to the plant and an evaluation to determine the readiness of the plant for the resumption (or continuation) of operation following the occurrence of an earthquake. 

Different levels of such inspections could be defined according to the level of earthquake damage experienced (measured in terms of appropriate analytical parameters) different responsibilities should be identified accordingly among the operators, the technical support staff in the plant and external specialized teams. 

The immediate notification of the regulatory body and its involvement in the restarting of the plant should be specified in appropriate procedures. 

Recommendations and guidance on operational procedures following an earthquake, including the timing of, responsibilities for and tracking of the necessary actions, are provided in Ref. [13]. 

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Both post-earthquake operator actions and automatic scram should be based upon a proper set of parameters derived from the recorded data and suitably processed, with two main goals ... 

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