Statistics and risk in the nuclear industry |
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| Authors: | Granville Tunnicliffe Wilson |
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| Institution: | Reader in the Department of Mathematics and Statistics at Lancaster University. He gratefully acknowledges information and advice for this article from Tom Gerrard, John Logsdon, Carl Scarrott, Phil Brighton, Richard Overton and Richard Hartzig, all of whom are, or have been, associated with the UK nuclear industry. |
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| Abstract: | Nuclear power, after a decade of being ignored, is again becoming an option—perhaps the preferred option—for future power generation in Britain. Can it be done safely? As importantly, can existing plant be decommissioned safely? Granville Tunnicliffe Wilson has worked on a series of statistical projects with the nuclear industry, stretching over a period of 30 years. He looks at the part statistics has played in past safety assurance and the questions that are now being asked about its role. He also reveals past cases where operators failed to follow valid statistical indicators of plant failure. |
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