The Safety File is a concept globally applied in the industry.
It provides relevant stakeholders (the management, contractors, operators and authorities) with a quality framework to effectively access all the documentation that is relevant for Safety.
Safety Files Management, EDMS 1177755
This Safety File is an obligation of CERN according to the tripartite agreement published in the French Décret n. 2011-1024 of 24 August 2011. It is stated, in Article 4 and Appendix 2 that:
Article 4: Documentation de Sureté et de Protection contre les rayonnements ionisants
“L’Organisation établit et met à jour la documentation de Sûreté et de Protection contre les rayonnements ionisants mentionnée dans l’Annexe 2”.
- Appendix 2: Pour les Installations en exploitation:
“l’Organisation maintient à jour la documentation de Sûreté et de Protection contre les rayonnements ionisants existante ci-dessous:- Pour toutes les Installations de l’Organisation:
- les dossiers de Sûreté relatifs à chaque Installation.
- les Règles CERN associées à l’exploitation de chaque Installation”.
- Pour toutes les Installations de l’Organisation:
In the image the EDMS structure of the CMS Safety Folder (EDMS CMS-0000005543)
The purpose of the Safety File is to demonstrate and document that a facility, project, or system is being/has been designed respecting Safety principles and that it can be constructed, operated and then dismantled Safely while ensuring that appropriate waste handling and disposal measures are applied throughout its lifecycle.
It further provides relevant stakeholders (the management, constructors, operators, and authorities) with a quality framework to effectively access the appropriate documentation.
The content of the Safety file could vary or be adapted to the specific installation. CERN set some references on its management and organisation dividing it into 4 parts:
- Description of the facility/equipment and of its systems in terms of safety.
- It shall be used as an entry point to the descriptive information related to the facility, i.e. schematics, drawings, technical notes, etc.
- Demonstration that all hazards and risks are identified, that they are assessed and that appropriate mitigation measures are taken.
- Compilation of the Safety-relevant procedures required to operate and maintain the facility, to dismantle it and dispose of its components. The procedures shall cover:
- Normal operation;
- Special operations: tests, degraded mode operation;
- Maintenance;
- Special provisions to ensure the integrity of the facility;
- Incident management/remediation.
- Records (safety and inspection reports, etc.);
- Non-conformities reports with incidences on safety, near-misses, incident and accident reports;
- Engineering change requests and records;
- Safety clearance(s);
- Feedbacks and decisions from technical discussions with authorities and CSAP
Documentation should be clear:
- Concise sentences
- Avoid technical details (refer to proper documentation instead)
- Avoid ambiguity
- As much as possible, try to incorporate figures and diagrams into your document.
References are available in the “Template” section.
