Radiological emergencies

DOD Defense Special Weapons Agency, EPA Radiological Emergency Response Team, Environmental Radiation Ambient Monitoring System, EPA Environmental Response Teams, Federal Radiological Monitoring and Assessment Center (after handoff from... 

ICRP, Principles for Intervention for Protection of the Public in a Radiological Emergency, Publication 63, International Commission on Radiological Protection, Stockholm, 1993. 

When large doses of radiation are released accidentally (nuclear power plant) or deliberately (terrorist act), there is an increased risk that adverse health conditions may develop (CDC, 2002b). Every agency should develop protocols for implementation during a radiological emergency. The PHN should be available to answer any questions about radiation that typically flood health department phone lines in this sort of crisis. The PHN should be aware of the following ... 

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2002b). Radiological emergencies. Retrieved March 27, 2007 from www.cdc. gov... 

The Convention of Early Notification of a Nuclear Accident and the Convention on Assistance in the Case of a Nuclear Accident or Radiological Emergency deal with aspects of emergency response and preparedness. Both of these Conventions—briefly referred to as the Notification Convention and the Assistance Convention —were adopted within a very short time span of only five months after the Chernobyl accident in 1986. 

U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Criteria for Preparation and Evaluation of Radiological Emergency Response Plans and Preparedness in Support of Nuclear Power Plants NUREG-0654, FEMA-REP-1 U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Washington, DC, 1980. 

A CDC is not able to assess the level of threat of a terrorist nuclear attack. However, for many years CDC has participated regularly in emergency-response drilLs where we have worked closely with other federal, state, and local agencies to develop, test, and implement extensive national radiological emergency- response plans. 

Federal law establishes the criterion for determining the adequacy of offsite planning and preparedness, i.e "Plans and preparedness must be determined to adequately protect the public health and safely by providing reasonable a.ssurance that appropriate measures can be taken offsite in the event of a radiological emergency."... 

Radiological emergency plans call for a prompt Alert and Notification system. If needed, this prompt Alert and Notification System will be activated quickly to inform the public of any potential threat from natural or man-made events. This system uses either sirens, tone alert radios, route alerting (the "Paul Revere" method), or a combination to notify the public to tune their radios or television to an Emergency Alert System (EAS) station. 

Emergency arrangements and financial arrangements for a radiological emergency, where appropriate. 

Preparedness and Response for a Nuclear or Radiological Emergency, Safety Standards Series No. GS-R-2, IAEA, Vienna (2002). 

AR9 Preparedness and response for a nuclear or radiological emergency. Jointly sponsored by FAO, ILO, OECD/NEA, PAHO, OCHA, WHO, GS-R-2, 25 November 2002. 

An intercom system and telephones in Rooms 104, 106, 107, 111, and 112 accommodate communications within the Hot Cell Facility. The TA-V emergency evacuation system provides immediate notification to all personnel in TA-V to evacuate in the event of a fire, radiological emergency, security problem, or other site-wide problem. The TA-V alarm may be initiated from building exits throughout TA-V. An area-wide public-address system, portable radios, and pagers supplement telephone communication and FAX capabilities to line management, SNL Incident Commander, DOE, and key ES H staff. 

Principles for Establishing Intervention Levels for the Protection of the Public in the Event of a Nuclear Accident or Radiological Emergency (being revised)... 

Radiological emergencies are classified according to exposure pathways. Exposure of the public and workers to radiation following an accident may be either external or internal, or both and may be incurred by various pathways. The pathways of external exposure are derived from the source or the facility, the plume, the radionuclide contamination on surfaces, and radionuclide contamination of skin and clothing. Those of internal exposure are the inhalation of radionuclides in a plume, the inhalation of re-suspended radionuclides, the ingestion of... 

The temporal and spatial aspects of radiological emergencies are also important in planning the appropriate emergency response. The protective actions for averting exposure via various pathways are as follows (ICRP 1991c). 

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