1. Nuclear Emergency Planning and Preparedness

2. Nuclear Emergency Plans Scary Stuff ! or is it ?
Malcolm Lloyd Dubber
MPhil.,CSci.,CChem.,MRSC.,FEPS.
Malcolm Dubber Consultancy Ltd
for
Emergency Planning Society Wales
Conference June 2018

3. Why are people frightened by the words – NUCLEAR and RADIATION ?
Nuclear explosion?
Hiroshima & Nagasaki
An Atomic Bomb type of explosion CANNOT occur in a Nuclear Power Plant
The science is totally different
Radiation is a hazard
Have we been brought up on fear!

4. Different levels of Nuclear Emergency
Nuclear Emergency Plans are in two parts:
On-site Emergency Plan
Off-site Emergency Plan
Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR)
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)
Different levels of Nuclear Emergency
INES

5. INES
International Nuclear and Radiological Event Scale for Event Communication

7. “Hey Alf:
where’s the train?”

8. Nuclear Site
Licence Condition 11 (LC11)
LC11(1): Licensee shall make arrangements for dealing with an accident or emergency on site and its effects
LC11(2): Submit to ONR the emergency arrangements for approval
LC11(3): No alteration or amendment to be made without approval of ONR
LC11(4): Arrangements that require assistance or co-operation of others, e.g. Local Authority and Emergency Services, must be consulted
LC11(5): Arrangements shall be rehearsed periodically or as required by ONR
LC11(6): Licensee shall ensure that all emergency response employees are properly instructed in their duties, use of equipment and precautions to be taken

9. Current Dose Limit is 5 µSv per annum
Key difference to other Emergency Planning Arrangements
On-site Radiation Dose to workers
Current Dose Limit is 5 µSv per annum
Radiation protection is based on 3 principles:
Time
Distance
Shielding
Dose v Contamination

10. How is a nuclear / radiation emergency managed?
A Nuclear Emergency in a
Nuclear Power Plant (NPP)
How is a nuclear / radiation emergency managed?
Understanding what the NPP does !
Dedicated trained people
Dedicated protected facilities
Dedicated off-site support

11. Essential Features 1 Protected Control Room
Protected designated Emergency Control Centre (ECC)
Protected back-up (auxiliary) ECC
Identified Evacuation Routes & Personnel Sheltering
Established Access / Egress routes for emergency vehicles & teams, including off-site support services
Control Points (including Security)
Medical and Decontamination facilities
Emergency Response Personnel Rest Centres

12. Essential Features 2 Laboratory facilities (backup off-site)
Health Physics facilities (backup off site)
Family Information Centre (HR, possibly off-site)
News / Media Centre (off-site)
Public Information Centre (off-site)
Communications Centre (independent of: ECC, Media Centre, and no public access) *
* DIRECT LINK TO CESC, IAEA, COBR

13. Central Emergency Support Centre
CESC
Central Emergency Support Centre
Based in Barnwood Gloucester
CESC has on-call scientists and engineers to provide technical support / advice to the Nuclear Emergency Site Emergency Control Centre and the Reactor Control Room.
These experts are drawn from across the nuclear industry, including contractors and defence.

14. EXERCISES DO NOT TEST PERSONNEL
On-site Emergency Preparedness
Organisational structure
Emergency Response Personnel
ALL properly trained and assessed periodically
SQEP (Suitably Qualified & Experienced Person)
Training Records maintained (ONR Licence requirement)
EXERCISES to test test overall and individual elements of Emergency Response Arrangements
EXERCISES DO NOT TEST PERSONNEL

15. Operational Management:
Common Elements of an Emergency Plan
Adequate Resources:
Capacity to respond: a management decision
Operational Management:
Shift Change-over, reserves and rested!
Neighbour NPP support
STRESS:
Affects ALL Emergency Personnel and others
Management of Stress!
Exercises and Incidents – “Hot Debriefing”
Publish “Lessons Identified”!

16. Chernobyl, Ukraine 1986
My safest distance ! 2005

17. This is a time for CHANGE and YOU must do it !
New Approach to Emergency Planning and Disaster Relief
How can we apply this to Emergency Planning?
Integrated Emergency Management is a start but it must encompass those areas that seemingly do not feature in emergency response, e.g. provision of fuel for transport. What use is an ambulance, fire fighting vehicle, bus or truck for conveying food, medical supplies, and equipment if there is no fuel available (or drivers!).
The logistics of supply, storage and distribution become vital and should be put at the forefront of emergency plans.
This is a time for CHANGE
and YOU must do it !

18. Interoperability of Critical Infrastructure
Conclusion
Safe operations of a NPP is at the heart of Nuclear Emergency Planning and Preparedness.
In an emergency the aim is to re-establish the generating power of the NPP.
Do we really understand a Nuclear Emergency Plan?
Is the fear of Nuclear and Radiation so great as to prevent us from thinking logically?
Perhaps the answer is before us:
Interoperability of Critical Infrastructure
It fails in an emergency because it doesn’t work effectively under normal conditions.

19. Keep calm and carry on

20. Thank you for participating
Nuclear Emergency Plans
Thank you for participating
Questions ?
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