Human Reliability Program

The Department of Energy (DOE or Department) today is publishing a final rule to establish the Human Reliability Program. This rule consolidates the Personnel Security Assurance Program (PSAP) and Personnel Assurance Program (PAP) into a single program, which incorporates all the important facets of each into a coherent, comprehensive, and concise regulation. The PSAP was an access authorization program for individuals who applied for or occupied certain positions critical to the national security. The PSAP required an initial and annual supervisory review, medical assessment, management evaluation, and DOE personnel security review of all applicants or incumbents. The PAP was a nuclear explosive safety program for individuals who occupied positions that involved hands-on work with, or access to, nuclear explosives. The PAP used many of the same evaluations as the PSAP to ensure that employees assigned to nuclear explosive duties did not have a mental/personality disorder or physical condition that could result in an accidental or unauthorized detonation of nuclear explosives.