Course in Ethics in Accident Scenario Simulation
300-hour online course in ethics in accident scenario simulation. 6 modules with IAEA SSG-2 (Rev. 1) (deterministic safety analysis), IAEA SSG-3 (Rev. 1) (Level 1 probabilistic safety analysis) and MELCOR. Assigned tutor and open enrolment.
Take the controls.
Run a real engineering trade-off from this field. Move the sliders, watch the model react in real time and beat the challenge.
What you will be able to do
Describe the methods used to simulate nuclear accidents.
Analyse the ethical issues of simulating catastrophic scenarios.
Evaluate the treatment of uncertainty and model validation.
Assess the responsible use of results in safety and emergency decisions.
Communicate simulation results to non-specialist audiences.
Identify bias and pressures in the selection of scenarios.
Produce an ethical analysis of an accident simulation.
Who it's for
- Nuclear safety analyst who wants to specialise in Ethics in accident scenario simulation.
- Severe accident specialist who wants to specialise in Ethics in accident scenario simulation.
- Emergency planning technician who wants to specialise in Ethics in accident scenario simulation.
- Probabilistic safety analysis engineer who wants to specialise in Ethics in accident scenario simulation.
- Risk communication adviser who wants to specialise in Ethics in accident scenario simulation.
- Researcher in technology ethics who wants to specialise in Ethics in accident scenario simulation.
- Engineering or science graduates seeking to enter nuclear power generation.
What you'll work with
- IAEA SSG-2 (Rev. 1) (deterministic safety analysis)
- IAEA SSG-3 (Rev. 1) (Level 1 probabilistic safety analysis)
- IAEA SSG-4 (Rev. 1) (Level 2 probabilistic safety analysis)
- Regulatory Guide 1.203 (transient and accident analysis methods)
- ASME V&V 20 (verification and validation in simulation)
- IAEA GSR Part 7 (emergency preparedness and response)
- ICRP 146 (radiological protection after a severe nuclear accident)
6 modules · 300 h
1.1Design basis accidents and beyond design basis accidents1.2Severe accidents: basic phenomenology1.3MELCOR, MAAP and ASTEC codes1.4Probabilistic safety analysis Levels 1, 2 and 31.5Consequence codes: MACCS and JRODOS1.6Source term and its uncertainty1.7Simulation for emergency planning1.8Stress tests after Fukushima1.9NRC SOARCA study1.10Case study: critical review of a consequence analysis
2.1The analyst's responsibility2.2Scenario selection and selection bias2.3Credible worst case versus imaginable worst case2.4Hidden assumptions and transparency of hypotheses2.5Pressure from clients and regulators2.6Conservatism versus realism2.7The value of a statistical life in models2.8Ethics of very low probability with very high consequences2.9The precautionary principle2.10Workshop: debate on scenario selection
3.1Aleatory and Epistemic Uncertainty 3.2 BEPU Best-Estimate Methods 3.3 GRS Method and Wilks' Formula 3.4 Validation with Experiments: Phébus and CORA 3.5 Lessons from Fukushima for the codes 3.6 Expert Judgment and its Elicitation 3.7 Communicating uncertainty to decision-makers 3.8 Independent review of analyzes 3.9 User errors in complex codes 3.10 Practice: Sensitivity analysis of a simplified scenario
4.1Emergency zone planning4.2Scenario-based drills4.3Evacuation and sheltering decisions4.4Licensing and safety margins4.5Insurance and civil liability4.6Political use of results4.7Publication and access to analyses4.8Sensitive physical security information4.9Simulation for emergency response team training4.10Case study: scenario for an off-site emergency exercise
5.1Communicating results to the public5.2Consequence maps and how to read them5.3Risk of alarm or false reassurance5.4Involvement of local authorities5.5Scenarios in the media and fiction5.6Public review of risk analyses5.7Justice in the distribution of risks5.8Vulnerable populations in models5.9Remembering past accidents5.10Workshop: communication guide for an accident analysis
6.1Selection of the accident scenario6.2Review of hypotheses and models6.3Uncertainty analysis6.4Identification of ethical dilemmas6.5Evaluation of the use of results6.6Communication proposal6.7Recommendations for good practice6.8Synthesis of conclusions6.9Report and presentation6.10Final review with the tutor
How you'll learn
100 % online training on the SEIUM campus, with downloadable material, recorded classes and an assigned technical tutor. There are no fixed timetables: students progress at their own pace within the intake, which makes it possible to combine the course with work.
Each module combines theory, guided reading of the original standard and applied exercises. The working software is MELCOR, MAAP, RASCAL, JRODOS, SAPHIRE, in free, academic or evaluation versions. Tests are studied using real procedures for simulating a severe accident, uncertainty analysis of results and critical review of emergency scenarios. Assessment is continuous by module plus the final integrating project.
Build it end to end
Your final project follows the real engineering workflow, step by step, reviewed by your tutor.
Describe the methods used to simulate nuclear accidents.
Analyse the ethical issues of simulating catastrophic scenarios.
Evaluate the treatment of uncertainty and model validation.
Assess the responsible use of results in safety and emergency decisions.
Communicate simulation results to non-specialist audiences.
Where this takes you
Requirements
- No prior qualification is required.
- Internet connection and a computer capable of running the programme's software.
- Sufficient command of Spanish to follow technical regulatory texts.
Ready to start?
Send your application today. Our admissions team replies within 72 hours with your study plan and funding options.
Frequently asked questions
The programme totals 300 hours, spread over 3 to 5 months. That is an average of 10 to 15 hours per week, compatible with a full-time job.
You will work with MELCOR, MAAP, RASCAL, JRODOS, SAPHIRE. Free, academic or evaluation versions are used, and the tutor indicates the free alternative where one exists.
A SEIUM own diploma upon passing the continuous assessment and the integrating project. This is in-house training, not an official qualification from the Ministry.
Yes. Modules passed in a course or postgraduate diploma in the same area can be credited towards the advanced programme. Check the credit transfer policy when you enrol.
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