Meet Ms Florence Bloise
We thought it would be interesting to learn more about just who our 5,000th member is. Her name is Ms Florence Bloise, and she is a cross-functional manager in the Security Services Department of the Cadarache Energy Research Centre, which is located about forty kilometres north of Aix-en-Provence, France.
Cadarache is the largest research and development centre for low carbon energies in Europe. The site hosts 21 basic nuclear installations and is accessed by approximately 5,000 people per day, including 2,400 employees from the French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission (CEA).
The Cadarache Centre’s activities are spread over several research and development platforms on both nuclear energy (fission and fusion) and alternative energies (biomass, bioenergy and photovoltaic and thermodynamic solar power).
Ms Bloise’s Responsibilities at Cadarache
Ms Bloise is responsible for implementing and improving the quality management system of the Local Safety and Security Service (FLS), which is in charge of ensuring 24/7 site safety and security. She also advises in the fields of chemical and biological risk, transport of hazardous goods, nuclear safety, crisis management, physical protection of installations, and nuclear material accounting and control.
Before joining the FLS, Ms Bloise held various positions at the Cadarache site, from working in the fields of operation, safety and security of nuclear installations to site management within the Quality, Security and Environment Unit.
‘I am very proud to be working at a nuclear research centre like Cadarache that has such a high level of expertise in nuclear safety and security.’
First Experience with Nuclear Security
Ms Bloise’s first experience in the nuclear security field, particularly regarding physical protection requirements, was through her position as manager of risks associated with the presence of nuclear materials and the operation of the nuclear facilities she was assigned to. She also took part in crisis management exercises, which allowed her to understand the importance of an integrated approach to safety and security.
‘I have been aware of the importance of security for some time, not least since the recent attacks in France, and of the crucial role it plays in supporting the CEA’s missions and ensuring that the findings of the company’s research programmes are passed on to all French people.’
How Ms Bloise Learned about WINS
Management of the Cadarache Centre became involved in a seminar (The Role of the Security Department during a Nuclear Safety Accident) that WINS organized in October 2018 in Aix-en-Provence and asked its experts to participate in it. Ms Bloise and one of her colleagues were also asked to give presentations about the Centre’s activities on security and crisis management.
To prepare as fully as possible, Ms Bloise read various WINS publications. She decided to became a WINS member to deepen her knowledge about security, exchange ideas on security issues, and share good practices in this field.
‘I was delighted to take part in the seminar,’ Ms Bloise said, ‘because it allowed me to meet other experts with similar profiles to mine and to exchange ideas on our respective practices.’
Becoming a WINS member also allows her to continue the discussions after the seminar, to receive new WINS publications, and to keep up-to-date with upcoming WINS activities that may be of interest to her.
Raising the Profile of Women in Nuclear Security
Ms Bloise’s participation in the seminar and commitment within WINS also provides an opportunity to help raise the profile of women in nuclear security which, along with technical and managerial roles within the nuclear industry, remains a largely male-dominated sector.
Yet Ms Bloise believes that women have demonstrated their skills and found their place alongside their male counterparts for a long time now in technical, managerial and crisis management roles in the nuclear industry and elsewhere.
Ms Bloise explains that women are able to express their ideas diplomatically and patiently in all areas, including nuclear security. She also emphasises, however, that animosity has no gender and that many criminal or terrorist acts are committed by women, particularly in ways that are unusual or little-known. It is therefore essential to have different perspectives on the analysis of nuclear safety and security and to include women in exercise scenarios.
‘I encourage women to get more involved in the field of nuclear security because it is highly beneficial to work in mixed teams and there is nothing standing in their way.’
Thank you
We want to thank Ms Bloise for her interest in WINS and for becoming a member, and we look forward to the valuable contributions her knowledge, skills and expertise will make to our membership.
