Plant layout (CBR)

12.1 General Requirements

 The layout shall be such that the redundant safety systems,
along with their instrumentation and support features have
sufficient physical separation such that an accident (fire etc.)
in one does not jeopardize the availability of the other
systems. Likewise the same criterion shall be followed for the
redundant component/equipment of a system. Any exception
shall be justified.

 The layout shall be such that the expected trajectory of

turbine missile does not hit the structures important to safety.

 If possibility of differential motion exist between RCB and FHB

due to SSE, its consequences shall be considered in design
Personnel Access Control
12.2 Each controlled area shall have a single access and egress
point for personnel during normal operation but escape
from alternate route shall be possible in the event of fire.

12.3 Control room and backup control room shall be habitable

during the postulated whole core accident.

12.4 Plant layout shall ensure that components important to

safety are protected against adverse meteorological effects
like abnormal high wind and wind borne missiles, heavy
rainfall, pressure variations, dust storms, storm surge,
tsunami and extreme wind etc.

12.5 Plant layout shall take into account the physical segregation
of items important to safety to avoid common cause (CCF)
vulnerability.
12.6 Plant layout in RCB and elsewhere shall facilitate safe and easy
access and movement of equipment during installation, in-situ
maintenance, replacement, ISI and decommissioning.
12.7 Layout shall consider radiation protection aspects and physical
protection aspects.
12.8 Consideration shall be given to localisation of any fire above the
top shield (reactor deck) by provision of appropriate barrier
Safety Guidelines
12.9 The layout of the controlled area should be such that the
personnel do not have to pass through areas of high radiation
or contamination to gain access to areas of lower radiation or
contamination.
The length of personnel routes through radiation and
contamination zones should be minimized to reduce the time
spent in transit through these zones.
12.10 The building structure and general system layout should be
arranged in such a manner that gross leakage from any
active piping system or equipment is confined to the local
area. The layout should give consideration to segregating
equipment containing high activity materials. Process sub-
systems should be arranged to minimize the number of
points where radioactive materials can deposit.

12.11 Backup control room should be located sufficiently away

from the main control room such as to ensure accessibility
and habitability to at least one of them at all times. There
should be a clear passage from the main control room to the
backup control room.

12.12 The maximum cumulative dose to personnel shall be less

than 50 mSv during the whole event.
12.13 The layout should be such that the sodium and water/steam
lines are separated as far as possible. Wherever not possible,
adequate barriers should be put in place in between them.

12.14 Plant layout should ensure that as far as possible movement

of heavy loads above systems and structures performing a
safety function is avoided.

12.15 Reactor containment building (RCB), fuel building and

building housing sodium systems with piping originating
from RCB should be on common raft to minimize the
consequences of earth quake from risk of sodium fire and
damages to machines handling subassemblies between RCB
and fuel building.
12.16 Plant layout in RCB and elsewhere should ensure sufficient
space for normal operation and emergencies.
LAYOUT OF THE PLANT (AERB)
The plant layout shall take into account requirements arising out of
radiation zoning, industrial safety, nuclear security, availability of
unobstructed access to buildings, movement of heavy machinery,
seismic isolation gap between adjacent structural parts, avoiding
overlapping of foundations, etc. Consideration shall also be given
to externally and internally generated missiles, including events
such as aircraft impact. During development of internal structural
layout, apart from structural loading aspects, consideration shall
also be given to radiation shielding, effective control of personnel
movement for preventing spread of radioactivity within and to
outside the plant, emergency requirements arising out of
industrial and nuclear safety, provision of fire protection, nuclear
security, surveillance and in-service inspection (ISI), maintenance
and replacement requirements of the housed systems, movement
of heavy loads inside the building, ergonomics etc.
Communication Systems at the Plant (CBR,AERB,GEN IV)
Suitable alarm systems and means of communication shall be
provided so that all persons present at the nuclear power plant
and on the site can be given warnings and instructions, in
operational states and in accident conditions. (5.75-CBR, 5.36.1-
AERB, 5.66-GEN IV)

Effective means of communication shall be provided throughout

the nuclear power plant to facilitate safe operation in all modes of
normal operation and to be available for use following all
postulated initiating events and in accident conditions. (5.36-AERB,
Criterion 37-GEN IV)

Suitable and diverse means of communication necessary for safety

within the nuclear power plant and in the immediate vicinity, and
for communication with relevant off-site agencies shall be
provided. (5.36.2-AERB, 5.67-GEN IV)
Communications necessary for safety, both within the plant and to the
outside, shall be assured at all times. This requirement shall be taken
into account in the design and in the diversity (at least two
independent means) of the communication methods selected. Means
for the safety of plant personnel shall be provided taking into account
differing requirements from the point of view of industrial safety,
radiation and fire protection and security. (5.76-CBR)
Control of Access to the Plant and Systems (CBR,AERB,GEN IV)
The nuclear power plant shall be isolated from its surroundings with a
suitable layout of the various structural elements so that access to it
can be controlled. (5.79-CBR, 5.34-AERB, Criterion 38-GEN IV)
Unauthorized access to, or interference for any reason with,
structures, systems and components important to safety including
computer hardware and software, shall be prevented. (5.80-CBR,
5.34.2-AERB, Criterion 39 GEN IV)
Provision shall be made in the design of the buildings and the layout of
the site for personnel and/or equipment for the control of access, and
attention shall be paid to guarding against the unauthorized entry of
persons and goods to the plant. (5.79-CBR, 5.34.1-AERB, 5.68 GEN IV)
Where access is necessary for maintenance, testing or inspection
purposes, it shall be ensured in the design that the necessary activities
can be performed without significantly reducing the reliability of safety
related equipment. (5.80 CBR)
Necessary design features shall be incorporated as part of the physical
security to monitor radioactive materials at site and restrict access to
safeguard against their loss/theft. (5.77 CBR)
The systems should be designed based on the design basis threats
identified and analysis should be carried out in order to assess the risk
of unauthorized removal of nuclear materials and/or sabotage of
nuclear power plant and incorporation of corrective measures(5.78 CBR)
Calibration, Testing, Maintenance, Repair, Replacement, Inspection
and Monitoring of Items Important to Safety (CBR,AERB,GEN IV)

The plant layout shall be such that activities for calibration, testing,
maintenance, repair or replacement, inspection and monitoring are
facilitated and can be performed to relevant national and
international codes and standards. Such activities shall be
commensurate with the importance of the safety functions to be
performed, and shall be performed without undue exposure of
workers. (5.57-CBR, 5.21.1-AERB, Criterion 29 GEN IV)

Structures, systems and components important to safety, except as

described in next paragraph shall be designed to be calibrated,
tested, maintained, repaired or replaced, inspected and monitored
with respect to their functional capability over the lifetime of the
nuclear power plant. (5.57-CBR)
Where items important to safety are planned to be calibrated,
tested or maintained during power operation, the respective
systems shall be designed for performing such tasks with no
significant reduction in the reliability of performance of the safety
functions. Provisions for calibration, testing, maintenance, repair,
replacement or inspection of items important to safety during
shutdown shall be included in the design so that such tasks can be
performed with no significant reduction in the reliability of
performance of the safety functions. (5.57(1)-CBR)

RADIATION PROTECTION (CBR,AERB,GEN IV)

The plant layout shall be such as to ensure that access of operating
personnel to areas with radiation hazards and areas of possible
contamination is adequately controlled, and that exposures and
contamination are prevented or reduced by this means of access
control and by means of ventilation systems.(6.43.4-AERB, 6.72
GEN IV)
The plant shall be divided into zones that are related to their
expected occupancy, to radiation levels and contamination levels
or potential in operational states (including refuelling,
maintenance and inspection), and to potential radiation levels and
contamination levels in accident conditions. Shielding shall be
provided so that radiation exposure is prevented or reduced.
(6.43.5-AERB, 6.73-GEN IV)

The plant layout shall be such that the doses received by operating
personnel during normal operation, refuelling, maintenance and
inspection can be kept as low as reasonably achievable, and due
account shall be taken of the necessity for any special equipment
to be provided to meet these requirements. (6.43.6-AERB, 6.74-
GNE IV)
Plant equipment subject to frequent maintenance or manual
operation shall be located in areas of low dose rate to reduce the
exposure of workers. (6.43.7-AERB, 6.75-GEN IV)

Suitable provision shall be made in the design and layout of the

plant to minimize exposure and contamination from all sources.
Such provision shall include adequate design of structures,
systems and components in terms of: minimizing exposure during
maintenance and inspection; shielding from direct and scattered
radiation; ventilation and filtration for control of airborne
radioactive materials; limiting the radioactive corrosion products
by proper specification of materials; means of monitoring; control
of access to the plant; and suitable decontamination facilities.
(21.4 CBR)
The shielding design shall be such that radiation levels in operating
areas do not exceed the prescribed limits, and shall facilitate
maintenance and inspection so as to minimize exposure of
maintenance personnel. The ALARA principle shall be applied.
(21.4-CBR)

The shielding design shall take into account possible streaming

paths. Full account shall be taken of build up of radiation levels in
areas of personnel occupancy and generation of radioactive
materials and wastes with time. (21.4 CBR)
The plant layout and procedures shall provide for the control of
access to radiation areas and areas of potential contamination,
and for minimizing contamination from the movement of
radioactive materials and personnel within the plant. The plant
layout shall provide for efficient operation, inspection,
maintenance and replacement as necessary to minimize radiation
exposure. (21.4-CBR)

Decontamination facility shall be provided for both personnel and

equipment. It shall have adequate margin to provide for
anticipated off normal conditions. The facility shall have provision
for handling any radioactive waste arising from decontamination.
(21.4 CBR)