Did you know that federal agencies have to address EVERY public comment made in response to a document posted for public comment? Yep, regardless of how well- or ill- informed!
SO that means that when there are regulations open for public comment, it is incumbent on those who have expertise on those topics to take a few moments to read and comment on them if appropriate.
Right now is one of those chances for the Human Factors/Ergonomics community. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has recently made available for public comment the proposed part 57 which is the "Licensing requirements for microreactors and other reactors with comparable risk profiles".
Micro and other small nuclear reactors are being proposed for multiple use cases in the US and around the world. To accomplish the NRC's mission of protecting public health and safety it's important that the regulations provide relevant requirements for this emerging technology. Your input could help!
The link is below for those who are interested.
Proposed Part 57 – Draft Rule for Public Comment - Comments must be submitted electronically by 11:59 p.m. eastern time on June 15, 2026.
• Proposed Part 57 Rule
U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission. 2026. "Licensing requirements for microreactors and other reactors with comparable risk profiles: Draft rule for comment." 10 CFR Part 57. Federal Register 91(84): 23628–23766.
https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/05/01/2026-08550/licensing-requirements-for-microreactors-and-other-reactors-with-comparable-risk-profiles
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S. Camille Peres, PhD, CHFP
HFES Immediate-Past President 2025-2026
Human Factors Specialist
camille.peres@ibt-triad.com------------------------------