Common abbreviations encountered in nuclear regulatory work, grouped by topic.

Authorities and bodies

  • AEC — Atomic Energy Commission (US, 1946-1974; functions split between NRC and DOE).
  • AERB — Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (India).
  • ANVS — Authority for Nuclear Safety and Radiation Protection (Netherlands).
  • ASN / ASNR — Autorité de sûreté nucléaire (et de radioprotection) (France).
  • BfS / BASE — Bundesamt für Strahlenschutz / Bundesamt für die Sicherheit der nuklearen Entsorgung (Germany).
  • CNSC / CCSN — Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission.
  • CSN — Consejo de Seguridad Nuclear (Spain).
  • DOE — Department of Energy (US).
  • DSA — Direktoratet for strålevern og atomsikkerhet (Norway).
  • EDF — Électricité de France.
  • ENSI — Eidgenössisches Nuklearsicherheitsinspektorat (Switzerland).
  • ENSREG — European Nuclear Safety Regulators Group.
  • HSE — Health and Safety Executive (UK).
  • IAEA — International Atomic Energy Agency.
  • ICRP — International Commission on Radiological Protection.
  • IRSN — Institut de radioprotection et de sûreté nucléaire (France; merged into ASNR 2025).
  • KEPCO — Korea Electric Power Corporation.
  • KINS — Korea Institute of Nuclear Safety.
  • MSB — Myndigheten för samhällsskydd och beredskap (Sweden, civil contingencies).
  • NDA — Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (UK).
  • NEA — Nuclear Energy Agency (OECD).
  • NRA — Nuclear Regulation Authority (Japan).
  • NRC — Nuclear Regulatory Commission (US).
  • ONR — Office for Nuclear Regulation (UK).
  • ORANO — French fuel-cycle company (formerly Areva).
  • OSL — Optically-Stimulated Luminescence (dosimetry technology).
  • PHE / UKHSA — Public Health England / UK Health Security Agency.
  • POSIVA — Finnish spent-fuel disposal organisation (Olkiluoto/Onkalo).
  • SKB — Svensk Kärnbränslehantering AB (Swedish nuclear-fuel-and-waste-management company).
  • SKI — Statens kärnkraftinspektion (Swedish nuclear-power inspectorate; merged into SSM 2008).
  • SSI — Statens strålskyddsinstitut (Swedish radiation-protection institute; merged into SSM 2008).
  • SSM — Strålsäkerhetsmyndigheten (Swedish radiation-safety authority).
  • STUK — Säteilyturvakeskus (Finnish radiation and nuclear safety authority).
  • SÚJB — Státní úřad pro jadernou bezpečnost (Czech nuclear safety office).
  • SÚRAO — Czech radioactive waste management agency.
  • UNSCEAR — United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation.
  • WANO — World Association of Nuclear Operators.
  • WENRA — Western European Nuclear Regulators Association.

Facilities and reactor types

  • ABWR — Advanced Boiling Water Reactor.
  • APR1400 — Korean Advanced Power Reactor 1400 MWe.
  • AP1000 — Westinghouse Advanced Passive 1000 MWe PWR.
  • BREST-OD-300 — Russian lead-cooled fast reactor under construction.
  • BWR / BWRX-300 — Boiling Water Reactor / Hitachi-GE small modular variant.
  • CANDU — Canada Deuterium Uranium reactor (PHWR).
  • Clab — Centralt mellanlager för använt kärnbränsle (Sweden, central spent-fuel store).
  • EPR — European Pressurised Reactor (Framatome).
  • HALEU — High-Assay Low-Enriched Uranium.
  • HTGR / HTR — High-Temperature Gas-cooled Reactor.
  • HWR / PHWR — (Pressurised) Heavy Water Reactor.
  • LFR / LBE — Lead / Lead-Bismuth Eutectic fast reactor.
  • LWR — Light-Water Reactor.
  • MOX — Mixed Oxide fuel.
  • PWR — Pressurised Water Reactor.
  • SFR — Sodium-cooled Fast Reactor.
  • SFR (Forsmark) — Slutförvar för kortlivat radioaktivt avfall (Swedish near-surface repository).
  • SMR — Small Modular Reactor.
  • UO2 / UF6 / U3O8 — uranium dioxide (fuel) / hexafluoride (enrichment input) / oxide concentrate (yellowcake).
  • VVER — Vodo-Vodyanoi Energetichesky Reaktor (Russian PWR family).
  • WIPP — Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (US, defense transuranic waste).

Regulatory and technical concepts

  • ALARA / ALARP — As Low As Reasonably Achievable / Practicable.
  • BSS / BSSD — Basic Safety Standards / EU BSS Directive (2013/59/Euratom).
  • COL / ESP — Combined License / Early Site Permit (NRC).
  • DBA / DEC / BDBA — Design-Basis Accident / Design Extension Conditions / Beyond-Design-Basis Accident.
  • DRL — Diagnostic Reference Level (medical imaging).
  • FFRD — Fuel Failure under Reactivity-initiated and Design-basis events.
  • FSAR — Final Safety Analysis Report.
  • GDA — Generic Design Assessment (UK pre-licensing review).
  • HLW / ILW / LLW / VLLW — High / Intermediate / Low / Very-Low Level Waste.
  • INES — International Nuclear and Radiological Event Scale.
  • IRRS — IAEA Integrated Regulatory Review Service.
  • Keff — effective neutron multiplication factor.
  • LOCA — Loss-of-Coolant Accident.
  • MELCOR / RELAP / SCDAP — severe-accident / thermal-hydraulic codes.
  • NSCA — Nuclear Safety and Control Act (Canada).
  • NPP — Nuclear Power Plant.
  • OIL — Operational Intervention Level.
  • PRA / PSA — Probabilistic Risk / Safety Assessment.
  • RAW — Radioactive Waste.
  • SAM / SAMG — Severe Accident Management (Guideline).
  • SAR — Safety Analysis Report.
  • SBO — Station Blackout.
  • SF-1 — IAEA Safety Fundamentals.
  • SFP — Spent Fuel Pool.
  • SSC — Structures, Systems and Components.
  • SAGTRR — Safety Guide on the Application of IAEA standards to research reactors.
  • SAFSTOR / DECON / ENTOMB — US decommissioning strategies (deferred / immediate / entombment).
  • SAFETY-RELATED / IMPORTANT-TO-SAFETY — classification of SSCs by their safety function.
  • SPDS — Safety Parameter Display System.
  • TRISO — Tristructural Isotropic fuel particle.
  • UF6 — Uranium Hexafluoride (enrichment input).
  • VVER — see Facilities section.
  • WAC — Waste Acceptance Criteria.
  • YVL — Finnish technical regulatory guide series.

Swedish-specific abbreviations

  • AB — Aktiebolag (limited liability company).
  • Clab — Centralt mellanlager för använt kärnbränsle (central interim store, Oskarshamn).
  • kärntekniklagen — Nuclear Activities Act (SFS 1984:3).
  • kärnavfallsfonden — Nuclear Waste Fund (financing).
  • KBS-3 — Kärnbränslesäkerhet-3 (spent-fuel disposal concept).
  • MSB — Myndigheten för samhällsskydd och beredskap.
  • oberoende härdkylning — independent core cooling (post-Fukushima Swedish requirement).
  • SFS — Svensk författningssamling (Swedish Code of Statutes).
  • SFR — Slutförvar för kortlivat radioaktivt avfall (final repository for short-lived waste, Forsmark).
  • SKB — Svensk Kärnbränslehantering AB.
  • SSI — Statens strålskyddsinstitut (predecessor to SSM).
  • SSM — Strålsäkerhetsmyndigheten.
  • SSMFS — Strålsäkerhetsmyndighetens författningssamling (SSM rule series).
  • strålskyddslagen — Radiation Protection Act (SFS 2018:396).