One of the many lessons learnt about nuclear safety over the years has been that human aspects of nuclear safety are as important as any technical issue that may arise. The international nuclear community regularly works together to identify, discuss and address technical issues, but examining how behaviour affects safety from country to country remains less common. Yet practical experience has shown that there are important differences across borders and even within borders in how people work together and communicate.

The Country-Specific Safety Culture Forum was created to gain a better understanding of how the national context affects safety culture in a given country and how operators and regulators perceive these effects in their day-to-day activities. The ultimate goal is to ensure safe nuclear operations. The third NEA safety culture forum – a collaborative effort between the Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA), the World Association of Nuclear Operators (WANO) and the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) – was held in Canada in September 2022. This report outlines the process used to conduct the forum, reveals its findings and encourages the nuclear community to further reflect and take relevant action.