Safeguards Techniques and Equipment

This publication provides an overview of the methods and technologies used by the IAEA inspectors in performing verification activities. The IAEA has the task of providing continuing assurance to the international community that States that have entered into safeguards agreements with the IAEA are meeting their obligations. This requires, in particular, that any diversion of safeguarded nuclear material from civil use to a proscribed purpose would be detected. Inspectors use equipment to make independent measurements to verify quantitatively the amounts of nuclear material presented in a State’s accounts and use a variety of techniques, primarily optical surveillance and sealing.