Canada’s nuclear watchdog eyes lessons from Boeing 737 Max air crashes

OTTAWA — Canada’s nuclear safety regulator is looking to draw valuable lessons from an unexpected source — the recent Boeing 737 Max airplane accidents.

A working group set up by the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission has analyzed recommendations flowing from the Boeing crashes with an eye to spotting potential improvements that could just as easily apply to the atomic energy industry.

Aviation authorities around the globe grounded Boeing 737 Max aircraft last March following two catastrophic crashes within five months.

Nuclear safety commission president Rumina Velshi said in a June speech the agency is looking at how other industries are adapting to an era of rapid innovation.

She said as the nuclear industry tries to adopt worthy practices, it must also take care to look at cases where technological progress might have — directly or indirectly — resulted in safety being compromised.

A November briefing note to Velshi, obtained through the Access to Information Act, says the commission’s working group has identified several themes from reports on the Boeing crashes, including human performance, post-accident response and safety culture.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 14, 2020.

The Canadian Press