Cooling water in the primary circuit in both fission and fusion nuclear reactors is unavoidably exposed to neutrons leading to the generation of problematic short-lived isotopes, most importantly, ¹⁶N (T_1/2=7.3s) via the ¹⁶O(n,p)¹⁶N reaction. This presents a significant itinerant radiation source to consider for operational dose and impact on radiation sensitive equipment (specifically their electronics), particularly due to the intense 6.13 MeV gamma ray that is emitted during ¹⁶N decay. This issue is predicted to be particularly severe in fusion devices such as ITER where the 14 MeV neutron emission rates from the deuterium-tritium plasma will be 1.77 x 10²⁰ n/s and because the energy threshold of the ¹⁶O(n,p)¹⁶N reaction is above 10 MeV. Due to uncertainties in modelling and nuclear cross section data large safety factors are currently applied within the ITER project and activities are presently ongoing to seek experimental justification to reduce these via coolant loop experiments at the Frascati Neutron Generator. To complement this, we compare existing experimental decay heat data sets measured at the JAEA fusion neutron source (FNS). This experiment employed a fast extraction rabbit system that in certain cases allowed the measurements to capture, at short cooling times, the decay profile of ¹⁶N in a range of oxides (K₂CO₃, CaO, Sc₂O₃, GeO₂, As₂O₃, StCO₃, SnO₂, TeO₂, IC₆H₄OH, Cs₂O₃, La₂O₃, Sm₂O₃, Eu₂O₃, Gd₂O₃, Tb₄O₇, Dy₂O₃, Ho₂O₃, Er₂O₃, Tm₂O₃, Yb₂O₃, Lu₂O₃, HgO and Tl₂O). Focussing on those data points that can be attributed to ¹⁶N, we compare measurements to simulations performed using the FISPACT-II inventory code together with TENDL-2017, EAF-2010, ENDF/B-VIII.0, JEFF-3.3 and JENDL-4.0 evaluated nuclear data libraries. We also derive integral cross section data estimates for ¹⁶O(n,p)¹⁶N from these oxide measurements and compare with previously obtained measurements in the IAEA EXFOR database and evaluations in the nuclear data libraries themselves. Work supported by RCUK [grant number EP/P012450/1] and the Euratom research and training programme.