Safeguards activities during the commissioning phase of the Melox MOX fuel fabrication plant

This article is a review of safeguards activities during the startup of the MELOX mixed-oxide fuel fabrication plant in France. The concepts applied in MELOX are based on the establishment and maintenance at different levels of independence, according to a structured hierarchy, of independent knowledge of the movements and dispositions of the nuclear material present in the installation. The initial testing/verification of the safeguards-related aspects of the facility is outlined.