IAEA Post Graduate Educational Course in Radiation Protection

IAEA Post Graduate Educational Course in Radiation Protection and Safety of Radiation Sources Emergency Exposure Situations Overview of Assessment and Response in a Radiological Emergency Generic response organization Emergency management Lecture

Introduction l Emergency management means the overall strategic management of the emergency response l The objective of this lesson is to present concepts of management in an emergency and emergency management functions 2

Content l l l l Generic response organisation Emergency management role Emergency Manager’s tasks Emergency phase actions Post-emergency phase actions Non-radiological challenges Summary 3

Objectives of Emergency Response n reduce risk or mitigate the consequences of the accident at its source n prevent deterministic health effects (e. g. , early deaths and injuries) n reduce the risk of stochastic health effects (e. g. , cancer and severe hereditary effects) as much as reasonable achievable 4

Important Aspects l The most important aspects of managing a radiological emergency: n The ability to promptly and adequately determine actions to protect members of the public and emergency workers n The ability to take those actions efficiently 5

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Emergency Manager l Emergency Manager is in charge of the overall strategic emergency management 7

Role and Functions of the Emergency Manager l Who is designated as Emergency Manager? n Document in the response plan l Knowledge/skills required l Operational location 8

Emergency Manager’s Tasks l Interface with accident scene Emergency Manager Command Post 9

Radiological and Non-radiological Hazards l Be aware n Radiation may be just one of the hazards in an accident - most cases non -radiological hazards (e. g. , fire, toxic fumes) will dominate n Radiological assessors will focus on the radiological aspects of the accident 10

Response Phases l Emergency Phase l Post-Emergency Phase 11

Initial Response An Example 12

Initial Response Cont’d 13

Emergency Phase l Obtain briefing from Response Initiator or staff on-scene; alert/activate other responders n Initial Information n Accident Registry Form n Alerted Emergency Responders Form 14

Emergency Phase Actions l l Maintain a Log n What was done n When was it done n Notifications n Decisions Maintain status boards/displays 15

Emergency Phase Actions l Assess situation and magnitude of potential radiological problem n Examples: s s s Calibration Sources - Low Well Logging - Medium Teletherapy - High Moisture Detectors - ? Industrial Radiography - ? 16

Emergency Phase Actions l Identify type of emergency and evaluate necessary main actions l Ensure all personal protection guides and actions are implemented in accordance with Radiological Assessor recommendations 17

Emergency Phase Actions Additional Considerations l l Depending on the circumstances of the accident various command staging facilities will need to be established at or near the scene Examples: n Command post n Reception area for response personnel n Vehicle marshalling area n Media reception area 18

Command post Layout Vehicle marshalling area Staging area wind Safety perimeter at 100 μSv/h or safe distance Reception area for response personnel Media reception area Outer cordoned area Inner cordoned area Medical response base Access control point Decontamination area Radiological Assessor base Access and contamination control point 19

Emergency Radiological Monitoring l To obtain the data or information required in an emergency n Different type of measurements can be performed n Different physical quantities can be measured l The intended uses of the results should guide the choice of monitoring priorities 20

Emergency Phase Actions l Ensure on-scene personnel are aware of media response, make media arrangements; appoint press liaison, if necessary 21

Additional Considerations l l Public Information Media Interest/Response/Relations 22

Post Emergency Phase l l Obtain dose assessment from Radiological Assessor, ensure medical follow-up of persons sent to hospital(s), inform media/public, response organizations that emergency is under control Ensure all actions, decisions, recommendations are documented, save records 23

Post - Emergency Phase Actions Additional Considerations DIRECT AND COORDINATE: l Clean-up l Waste l Demobilization l Radiological Data/Assessment l Medical Follow up l Media/public 24

Post - Emergency Phase Actions Additional Considerations l Documentation l Importance 25

Post - Emergency Phase Actions l l Reconstruct the accident, evaluate response, develop lessons learned, update response plan, prepare final report Report Contents (minimum) n Summary n Description of the Accident n Response to the Accident n Human Consequences n Environmental Consequences n Dose Assessment n Conclusions and Recommendations 26

Summary l This lesson provided n Generic response organization n Initial response concepts n Emergency management functions n Responsibilities/tasks l Remember: saving lives, treating injuries and fire fighting hazards are the priorities 27

Where to Get More Information l The role and tasks of the Emergency Manager are described in more details in the INTERNATIONAL ATOMIC ENERGY AGENCY Generic Procedures for Assessment and Response during a Radiological Emergency IAEA-TECDOC-1162, Vienna (2000) 28