The use of nuclear energy for electricity production is an emotive subject and hence society expects its use to be safe and secure. However, no industrial activity is immune from accidents but in the case of nuclear accidents, the political, public and media responses are usually more intense than for any other type of accident. Nuclear power is therefore seen as being ‘different’. The special characteristics of nuclear energy such as the high energy density locked in the atom, nuclear fission, the controllability of the chain reaction and the decay heat resulting from radioactive decay of fission products in the core of a nuclear reactor make this technology potentially hazardous. However, this hazard potential can be controlled to ensure that the risks to society are acceptably low through effective nuclear safety and nuclear security regulation. A country that is considering embarking on a nuclear power programme for the first time will be faced with many challenges. This article examines the nuclear safety and nuclear security challenges facing countries wishing to embark on a nuclear power programme and provides thoughts on how these challenges can be overcome