Radioactive Waste Management - Inventory Management System (RWM-IMS)

The Australian Submarine Agency (ASA) requires a Radioactive Waste Management – Inventory Management System (RWM-IMS) to support radioactive waste management functions associated with the Australia, United Kingdom and United States (AUKUS) program.

In accordance with Australian Naval Nuclear Propulsion Safety Regulations 2025 the inventory management system used for radioactive waste management will involve the implementation of both digital (soft) and paper (hard) copy records.

The digital RWM-IMS is required to collect, store, and manage radioactive waste data using Personal Electronic Devices and other field devices. The RWM-IMS should priorities security, accuracy, and compliance, ensuring that no wireless connectivity is employed for data transmission, instead relying on secure offline transfer methods (e.g. USB, SD cards, encrypted removable media, docking). Given the sensitive nature of radioactive waste data within the AUKUS program, cyber-security must be a priority to prevent unauthorised access, cyber threats, and data breaches. The RWM-IMS must comply with Australian Government cyber-security policies while aligning with international best practices in securing critical infrastructure and classified information.

The users and their needs

1. The ASA requires an inventory management system (IMS) for the conduct of radioactive waste management functions conducted as part of the Controlled Industrial Facility (CIF) at His Majesty’s Australian Ship (HMAS) Stirling in Western Australia (WA). The CIF will support visiting nuclear-powered submarine (NPS) operations and in-water maintenance activities as part of Submarine Rotational Force – West (SRF-West).

2. The management of records relating to radioactive waste is important for several reasons. This includes practical reasons, including:

1. Being able to provide information on waste items inside sealed containers without needing to open the container and/or expose personnel to radiation hazards,
2. Assessing compliance of a waste item against the Controlled Industrial Facility (CIF) and future disposal facility Waste Acceptance Criteria (WAC),
3. Satisfying regulatory requirements, and
4. Complying with requirements of the Archives Act 1983 (Cth).

3. The RWM-IMS should also enable the ASA to record the:

1. Waste inventory of the CIF.
2. Waste packages that can be disposed of through either free release or delay and decay.
3. Forecast date that waste will decay to below exemption levels (if it will).
4. Radiological characteristics of the waste include dose rates and radionuclide content.
5. Capacities of the different storage options and when they are likely to be full based on forecast waste production rates.

4. The RWM-IMS should include information such as: a description of the waste, radiation levels, radionuclide types and activity levels, chemical composition, container type, location, who has been involved in handling the waste, what processes it has been through, etc.

5. The RWM-IMS will provided the ASA with a structured system to track, monitor, and manage radioactive waste to ensure safety, regulatory compliance, and efficient characterization, storage, transport and disposal.