ARAO is a national technical support organisation providing long-term, safe and cost-effective radioactive waste management solutions to the users of nuclear and radiation technologies in Slovenia. 

It plans the final disposal of radioactive waste that is generated during the operation of Krško Nuclear Power Plant (and that will be generated during the decommissioning of the plant), as well as radioactive waste generated in other activities. 

It collects, transports, processes and stores institutional radioactive waste produced in medicine, research activities and industry. 

It is authorised for long-term surveillance and maintenance of uranium mining and milling waste repositories. 

Over the long term, we wish to assure a comprehensive management system for all radioactive waste in Slovenia in accordance with standards protecting human health and the environment. 

As the generation that enjoys the benefits of nuclear energy and radioactive material, we have a social responsibility to employ suitable solutions and to avoid placing unnecessary radioactive waste management burdens on future generations. 

Safety culture will continue to be a comprehensive element of all segments of our operations. Safety and environmental and social acceptability are the guiding principles of our radwaste management work. 

We are planning to construct a low- and intermediate radioactive waste repository for final disposal of the waste produced so far. A solution for future radioactive waste will also be designed. 

We will continue to provide an efficient and client-friendly service of institutional radioactive waste management to medical and research institutions and to industry that use radioactive materials and radiation sources. We will accept the radioactive waste from all producers and place it in the central storage facility, no matter for what purpose they use the radiation sources and materials. 

Our desire is to design a management concept for spent fuel and high level radioactive waste that takes to account the strategic value of the inventory and fulfils safety requirements at all stages of management, despite the large timespan involved, by paying due consideration to national and international policy frameworks. 

We see an opportunity to continuously improve ARAO operations by putting in place an integrated quality and environmental management system. The quality and environmental management policies are based on the fundamental principles and values of radioactive waste management. 

We will ensure a high level of protection of human health and the environment within and beyond the borders of the country, both now and in the future. We carry out our activities so that future generations will not face undue burdens. 

We continuously follow the development of technology around the world and strive to enhance our expertise in all areas. 

In our activities, we use globally recognised best available technologies, which we access via our international connections. When carrying out projects, we place special emphasis on environmental responsibility. 

ARAO policies, whose adequacy is continually monitored, evaluated and improved by management in response to the objectives achieved, are in line with the vision of development of ARAO activities, and define the principles upon which the quality and environmental management systems, including commitments to continuously improve all systems, are built and developed. We are fully aware that there can be no successful policy implementation without the active involvement of all ARAO staff. 

The main principles of the policy are: 

• to continuously follow up on legislation and stakeholders’ requirements, and adjust our capacities; 

• to communicate appropriately with our staff and make all the necessary information available to them; 
• to provide the continuous professional training of staff; 
• to guide and motivate staff to manage activities independently and responsibly; 
• to ensure a cost-effective quality level at all levels of operation; 
• to continuously align management systems with the applicable legal and other requirements relating to quality, the environment, safety and good business practice; 

• to engage in partner cooperation with key suppliers and service providers; 
• to nurture contacts with key stakeholders and monitor stakeholder satisfaction; 
• to make continuous improvements to efficiency and performance; 
• to ensure that partners are informed of our management policy (signing of a statement that confirms that they have been apprised of ARAO’s requirements and that they will comply with them); 
• to select providers that have a certified quality system and environmental management systems (with providers without a certified quality and environmental management system the activity manager provides an adequate supervision and guidelines); 

• to organise continuous training and information-provision for those who work for ARAO with the aim of improving awareness of the importance of environmentally friendly practice; 
• to ensure that all employees are aware of their safety obligations. 

ARAO management is responsible for ensuring that all employees are highly professionally qualified, well-informed and motivated. 

Safety culture is a part of organisational culture and is reflected in the approach, beliefs and values of staff in relation to safety in the work environment. Safety culture is based on honesty, trust, communication, cooperation, efficiency, professionalism, equality and respect for personal safety, safety of the organisation and safety of the facilities we manage. 

ARAO encourages staff innovation, openness and competence. Awareness of safety by employees is, alongside technical solutions (particularly in the fields of information technology, physical and technical protection, and nuclear and radiation safety), crucial to maintaining the highest possible levels of safety and excellence at ARAO. We have taken a systemic approach to the formulation of safety culture and the raising of safety awareness, one based on communication, safety procedures and realisation of the normative framework (compliance with the requirement to protect personal and classified data and information, and with the legal standards and consequences associated with this). In addition to legal and procedural factors, the most important driver of safety culture is mutual communication and relationships. 

We strive to ensure that ARAO operations proceed smoothly, that the facilities managed by ARAO operate safely, and that any potential damage is reduced by preventing and minimising the consequences of undesirable information security events. 

The aim of the security policy is to protect ARAO’s information sources and resources against all threats, internal or external, deliberate or accidental, in accordance with the requirements of the JV5 rules. 

The security policy comprises instructions and standards, collected in one place, for the provision and management of information security for all information system users. 

The information security policy covers: 

• the provision of confidentiality, integrity and availability of information; 
• the protection of information against unauthorised access, disclosure, modification or destruction; 

• the provision of education and training to all employees on information security; 
• familiarity with the rules of safe use for all users of the ARAO information infrastructure; 
• the management of and appropriate response to security incidents; 
• compliance with laws and regulations. 

Anyone who has access to the ARAO information system must adhere to and fulfil information security policy requirements. 

Our radioactive waste management complies with the highest safety standards. 

Nuclear and radiation safety are important elements in the formulation of an integrated management system and always have the highest priority during the performance of our activities. 

The ARAO safety policy is an integral part of the operations policy, which contains a system for managing emergencies when managing radioactive waste, operating facilities and transporting radioactive material. The purpose is to prevent any emergency situations from arising that could present a danger to people and the environment. 

In order to manage safety, reduce the risk of emergency events and take effective and timely measures if emergency events do occur, we have principles in place and carry out measures: 

• The basis for the implementation and development of our activities is concern for a safe, healthy living environment. 
• A high degree of safety and environmental awareness is one of the most crucial parts of safety culture. 
• We operate proactively when it comes to protecting health, safety and the environment, and the competencies and responsibilities are clearly defined. 
• We have procedures in place for identifying risks. We are able to manage and control new projects and changes because we employ the best available technologies. 
• We work in accordance with legislation, guidelines, standards and the other requirements we have adopted. We make regular checks of the compliance of operations by means of internal and external audits. 

• We have a protection and rescue plan in place for the central radioactive waste storage site. We test the procedures defined in this plan on a regular basis, upgrading them as necessary. 
• We control risks by performing preventive and corrective measures. 
• We ensure that safety culture is high by continuously training employees and sharing information on and experiences of safety issues. We promote a commitment to excellence, ethical conduct, and personal and joint responsibility. 
• We have an established method of providing information on events and important safety-related issues.