The personnel in any organisation have to be integrated into a cohesive unit in which roles and responsibilities are clearly understood. Typically these are described in the form of policies, processes and procedures in quality assurance (QA) programmes. Such programmes will include poli­cies in respect of health, safety and welfare and environmental protection.

The great danger with quality assurance programmes is that they can become over-prescriptive; this in turn can result in them becoming impracti­cal to use and maintain. Pragmatism in the development of the associated procedures is advisable. The degree of detail in such procedures can be determined by the nuclear safety significance of the issue to be covered and the need for detail.

Over time, quality assurance programmes have evolved from prescriptive programmes that are imposed to the more inclusive concept of Total Quality Management (TQM) programmes.

The concept of integrated management systems attempts to go further by taking into consideration cultural factors, such as safety culture, that influence and are important to the way in which an organisation operates (IAEA 2006b).

The Management System for Facilities and Activities Safety Requirements Series No. GS-R-3.