Defence Nuclear Safety Regulator (DNSR)

Part of the Defence Safety Authority, the DNSR oversees nuclear safety within the Defence Nuclear Enterprise (DNE), which includes the Naval Nuclear Propulsion Programme and the Nuclear Weapon Programme.

What we do

The DNSR regulates nuclear safety in the DNE as a trusted independent regulator in defence, holding individuals to account (applying enforcement actions where necessary) and providing independent assurance of compliance with the Secretary of State for Defence鈥檚 Policy Statement on Health Safety and Environmental Protection. This policy mandates at least as good nuclear safety outcomes for defence as those required by UK legislation.

The Ministry of Defence (MOD) holds specific exemptions from statute related to the safety of Nuclear Reactor Plant and Nuclear weapon activities. The arrangements for, and management of, nuclear safety across the DNE, must still meet the exceptionally high standards required by applicable legislation, defence policy, and relevant good practice within the nuclear industry however.聽To achieve this, we align our regulations closely with the Office for Nuclear Regulation, deviating only where necessary.

Additionally, we maintain crucial relationships with (UK) the Office for Nuclear Regulation, the Environment Agency, the Scottish Environmental Protection Agency, the Defence Maritime Regulator, the Defence Ordnance and Munitions and Explosives Regulator, and the Defence Nuclear Security Regulator, to ensure seamless coordination and interdependence within the defence sector.

Overseas, we have formal arrangement for collaborative regulation with the Australian Naval Nuclear Power Safety Regulator (ANNPSR) and Autorit茅 de S没ret茅 Nucl茅aire D茅fense (ASND).