Nuclear Engineering & Security

• Nuclear safety analysis for Hazard Category 2 and 3 nuclear facilities
• Hazards identification, screening, and evaluation
• Chemical and radiological dispersion and consequence analyses
• Hazard control development and implementation
• DSA/TSR development and revision per DOE-STD-3009-2014
• Safety analysis engineer training
• Integrated safety analysis for commercial nuclear facility licensing
• SMR licensing strategy and safety basis development

• NCS program development, implementation, and assessments
• Criticality code verification and validation
• NCS evaluations of fissile material operations per DOE-STD-3007-2017
• Criticality incredible (CI) determinations to support deactivation activities
• Criticality accident alarm system detector placement and shielding analysis

• Engineering program optimization
• Engineering design services – Mechanical, Electrical/I&C, Civil/Structural
• Design analysis and calculations
• 3-D CAD design package development
• Fabrication/construction support
• Test plan development and implementation

• Security program surveys and assessments
• Information security and classification
• Emergency management
• Security program planning and optimization
• Protective force planning

• Training program development and implementation
• Operating procedures, CONOPS, and driver for rigorous safety culture
• Work planning and control
• Industrial safety and health
• Waste management, packaging, and transportation compliance

• NQA-1 quality assurance program for safety software and engineering processes
• Compliant processes and approved facility for generation and handling of CUI
• Rigorous cost accounting and tracking system
• Project management and integration capability

BGS personnel have extensive experience in complex and highly regulated environments. We understand the requirements and unique challenges of both the federal and commercial nuclear sectors and deliver support, services, and solutions tailored to each client’s needs.

We have a highly talented group of engineers and scientists with experience across the entire nuclear facility life cycle. We leverage the best science and engineering to enable fresh and innovative solutions to challenging problems. Our safety software configured on NQA-1 compliant servers coupled with effective project managers enables efficient remote support operations.

The result is strategic and technical solutions that resolve issues, improve performance, and reduce cost. 

Examples of recent assignments:

• Developing licensing strategy, Safety Design Strategy and DSA/TSR for a new 3-D printed SMR to be built at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (UT-Battelle)
• Performing a gap analysis and cost estimate for implementation of DOE-STD-3009-2014 for a hot cell facility at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (UT-Battelle)
• Performed a Hazard Category 3 to Hazard Category 2 DSA/TSR upgrade for the U1A facility in support of future subcritical experiments (NSTec)
• Developing NCS evaluations to allow characterization and deactivation activities at the former uranium enrichment facilities (FRNP and FBP)
• Developing the basis for criticality incredible for D&D activities at the former uranium enrichment facilities (FRNP and FBP)
• Providing complete design, fabrication, and testing services for a unique gas capture system at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (UT-Battelle)
• Providing engineering design services for new facilities and infrastructure at the LANL EM site (N3B)
• Supporting DOE-EM in the development and implementation of a complex-wide Safeguards and Security Roadmap to guide program enhancement and consistency (DOE EM-3.114)
• Support for strategy, planning, and management of cross-cutting issues for the full range of waste managed by DOE EM (EM-30)
• Manage the DOE training program at the Oak Ridge Office (DOE)

BGS has established a Nuclear Safety Center of Excellence to provide Nuclear Safety Analysis and Nuclear Criticality Safety services to clients across the country from our dedicated team of engineers and nuclear safety professionals located in our Oak Ridge, Tennessee office. 

There is a chronic shortage of highly qualified nuclear safety experts available to support challenging and complex projects.  This problem is especially severe for nuclear facilities at remote locations with little attraction for long-term relocation of highly sought-after personnel. BGS capitalized on our set of unique capabilities and leveraged the large talent pool available in the Oak Ridge area, to provide a stable home base from which to conduct remote operations.  Our Nuclear Safety Center of Excellence provides clients with the critical resources needed to efficiently support nuclear safety projects regardless of location.

Our goal was to provide better talent, at reduced cost, and improved efficiency.  We began by assembling a group of highly experience, highly regarded subject matter experts and engineering and safety professionals.  We have found that our group of highly talented individuals attracts other experienced and highly capable professionals and has allowed us to build a highly capable team.

Working from a centralized location is cost-effective, by avoiding travel and relocation costs and allows BGS to share work among qualified professionals.  Working remotely allows professional to focus on the task at hand and avoids potential distractions from client site operational activities or other unrelated issues.  We carefully manage tasks and workloads so program/project managers, task leads, and functional leads can collaborate effectively, reduce project time and make optimal use of unique resources.

We support remote access to client site networks and travel to the client’s site only when needed to perform walkdowns, talk with operations owners, facilitate reviews, and obtain document signatures. Otherwise, the technical work on the nuclear safety documents is performed at the BGS office location. BGS Nuclear Safety teams can operate under client programs or under our own quality program and procedures. We have a DOE-accepted NQA-1 Quality Assurance Program and computing resources such as MACCS2, POSTMAX, GENII2, SCALE, MCNP and other codes that are verified and validated for the specific project applications. BGS also maintains the ability to process, store, and transmit Controlled Unclassified Information in our Oak Ridge facility.

Clients can use the BGS Nuclear Safety Center of Excellence in concert with their own site resources, ensuring they are never short of the nuclear safety expertise required to successfully fulfill their mission.