The IAEA’s first regional workshop on arrangements for terminating a nuclear or radiological emergency was held last week in Cyprus, with 26 participants from 20 Member States learning how to use guidance contained in an IAEA safety standard that was published earlier this year.
The IAEA Safety Guide on Arrangements for the Termination of a Nuclear or Radiological Emergency (No. GSG-11) , published in March 2018, offers support in the preparation for deciding when to terminate an emergency situation.
Workshop participants learned how to begin the transition process in the aftermath of a nuclear or radiological emergency and how to determine when to lift any protective action. They also focused on how to prepare for facilitating resumption of social and economic activity.
The workshop highlighted the need for strong national preparedness programmes alongside effective international cooperation.
The participants, from Belarus, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Finland, France, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Latvia, Lithuania, former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russian Federation, Slovakia and Slovenia, discussed lessons from past emergencies and ways to strengthen their national EPR frameworks.
“The new Safety Guide is clear in the arrangements that need to be in place, and this workshop has given us the chance to ask questions from experts on how to implement it effectively, also learning from our regional partners to ensure a more harmonized approach,” said Tinkara Bucar, Radiation Protection Officer at the Slovenian Josef Stefan Institute.
The Regional Workshop on Arrangements for the Termination of a Nuclear or Radiological Emergency complements other training courses in the area of emergency preparedness and response offered by the IAEA.
