Threat categories

Threat categories Adversaries may be categorized as occurring from three general areas ... 

Disease-Causing Agent Threat Category (Class of Microorganism) Natural Occurrence as Anthroponosis, Zoonosis, or Vector-Borne... 

Categorizing IT threats from both the IT and SCM literature resulted in the selection of six general IT security threat categories. Table 2 displays these categories and provides examples from the... 

Threat Category Type of Security Incident %Reporting at Least One Incident... 

V Areas that could be contaminated to levels necessitating food restrictions consistent with international standards as a result of events at installations in threat categories 1 or 11, including installations in nearby countries. 

Threat category III includes facilities without significant off-site risk but with the potential for accidents resulting in deterministic health effects on-site. This applies to research reactors of less than 2 MW(th), critical assemblies, and facilities with a potential for unshielded dose rates of more than 10 Sv/h at 30 cm or with moderate inventory of unsealed radioactive material. Jurisdictions that provide fire, police, or medical support to these facilities also require this level of planning. On-site there may be high dose rates, beta emitter contamination, or other hazardous conditions in areas requiring actions by the staff to mitigate the accident. 

Threat category V is for areas that are far enough away from category I or II facilities not to require implementation of urgent proteetive actions such as evacuation, relocation, and sheltering but where there is a potential for food and foodstuff contamination that calls for the implementation of agrieultural countermeasures and foodstuff monitoring and control. 

Table 9.6 shows how the planning zones apply to each threat category. 

General Emergency Preparedness Requirements for All Threat Categories... 

Threat category Precautionary action planning zone size (PAZ) Urgent protective action planning zone size (UPZ) Longer-term protective action planning zone size (LPZ)... 

The degree of preparedness and the type of response required depend on the potential magnitude of emergencies, or in other words, on the threat category. In the following discussion, the needs for each threat category are examined. 

Preparedness and Response Coordination. Effective and practical preparedness and response coordination mechanisms must be established for any type of emergency. In the case of threat categories I and 11, coordination arrangements must be formalized within each major emergency response organization, at each major jurisdictional level involved in the response, and between organizations and jurisdictional levels. 

During an accident at a threat category I or II facility, laboratory analyses of radioactive samples must be done. Because the site itself may be contaminated, laboratory facilities for such analyses must be established outside the potentially contaminated zone, i.e., outside the... 

Stable iodine prophylactic has proven to provide effective protection of the thyroid against the intake of radioactive iodine. For threat categories I and II, where the release of radioactive iodine to the environment is possible, the population within the urgent protective action zone should be given access to stable iodine. In order to be effective, stable iodine must be administered at the time of exposure or within a few hours from exposure. Approximately 12 hours after the initial exposure, stable iodine is no longer beneficial. 

In general, each facility within threat categories I and n should hold one annual large-scale coordination exercise involving off-site authorities. The training and exercises should take into account the needs of the public living close to the facility. 

Another challenge lies in relating the accident assessment to an adequate level of response. It can be difficult to communicate accident severity to other emergency groups. Prompt initiation of a coordinate response is more difficult still, unless a simple way to categorize or classify the event is established. Facilities in threat categories I and n should therefore have a clearly defined emergency classification system. 

The IAEA recommended classification system for threat category I and n facilities is described in Table 9.7. 

Key aspects that should be part of the emergency plan for any government near a threat category I facility are ... 

Protection of Emergency Workers. Emergency workers on-site could be exposed to very high doses. The same basic requirements apply for these workers as for threat category I and II workers. This includes those responding from off-site into the facility (e.g., firefighters). 

Public Instructions, Public Protective Actions, and Mitigation of Psychosocial Impacts. There is generally no need for public instruction or protective action plans for threat category III. Mitigation of psychosocial impacts is also not a consideration beyond providing timely information to counter rumors and misinformation. 

Logistical Support and Facilities. The only specific requirements for the threat category IV are for survey and cleanup equipment such as dosimeters, survey and contamination meters, protective gear, decontamination supplies, and recovery tools at the national level. In several areas, particularly those in which the risk of a transportation accident is high, local response services are equipped with dosimeters and survey meters. If so, training (and periodic refresher training) must be provided, equipment must be periodically verified and calibrated, and the emergency services staff must be provided with valid procedures. 

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