IAEA Nuclear SECURITY SERIES Evaluation of Physical Protection Systems at Facilities

This guidance details methods to assess the physical protection systems safeguarding nuclear materials and facilities. It emphasizes evaluating personnel, procedures, and equipment to ensure robust security against unauthorized removal and sabotage while maintaining overall operational integrity. The physical protection system (PPS) at a nuclear facility consists of a range of nuclear security measures involving personnel, procedures and equipment. Ensuring that the PPS is operating as designed is crucial for the security of the nuclear material and of the facility itself. An evaluation of the individual elements of a facility’s PPS, as well as the system as a whole, provides a measure of the system’s effectiveness. This publication provides technical guidance for Member States, competent authorities and operators on evaluating the effectiveness of such systems to protect nuclear material in use and in storage against unauthorized removal, and to protect nuclear material and facilities against sabotage.