IAEA course builds capacity to manage nuclear or radiological incidents and emergencies

Responders to nuclear or radiological incidents and emergencies play a pivotal role in protecting people and the environment. In order to do this effectively, responders need to know which steps to take and when. That’s where training and preparedness come in, which is an area of work supported through the IAEA’s Peaceful Uses Initiative (PUI).

“Despite precautions taken during the design and operation of nuclear installations, as well as advances in science and technology, a failure, intentional act or mishap could lead to an emergency involving radioactive sources,” said Raul dos Santos, Head of the Emergency Division of Brazil’s National Nuclear Energy Commission (CNEN). “Members of civil protection services, fire departments, law enforcement, medical services, etc. need to receive continuous education on how to identify a radiation emergency and implement protective measures.”

To help responders develop and maintain the relevant skills, the IAEA’s School of Radiation Emergency Management provides training to strengthen national, regional and international capacities to respond to nuclear or radiological incidents and emergencies, such as an accident during the transport of a radioactive source or the misuse of radioactive material.

Since the launch of the School in 2015, the IAEA has held 12 training courses in 9 countries, which have been attended by nearly 500 participants from 80 countries. The comprehensive two-to-three-week course covers all aspects of emergency preparedness and response (EPR).

The School was designed by the IAEA to provide participants with a comprehensive understanding of the basic principles of nuclear or radiological EPR based on IAEA safety standards and associated technical guidance. The IAEA’s Incident and Emergency Centre is the global focal point for international EPR for nuclear and radiological incidents and emergencies regardless of their cause, such as an accident or a malicious act.

“During the course, participants discuss how to address the main aspects of EPR at national and local levels, which they then take back to their countries and use in their roles as regulators, operators, municipality workers or emergency responders, such as firefighters or law enforcement officers,” said Svetlana Nestoroska Madjunarova, Emergency Preparedness Coordinator at the IAEA. “The School is aimed at supporting Member States in developing a cadre of professionals trained to handle different aspects of EPR as required in the international safety standards in the area.”

Participants complete an initial mandatory e-learning module and test, which complements lectures, practical exercises, discussions on case studies and visits to different facilities. The curriculum covers topics such as all-hazards emergency management system, protecting the public and emergency workers, providing information to the public, monitoring and mitigating radiological and non-radiological consequences.

Participant feedback has helped to continuously improve the School. One such change has been the addition of more case studies for experiential learning based on real events.

“History demonstrates that an emergency involving radioactive sources can occur in any country around the world, and it is of paramount importance to be prepared to face any radiation emergency,” dos Santos said. “We have two ways to learn how to respond to a radiation emergency: through training and exercises or by responding to a real emergency.”

During a regional training course held in Rio de Janeiro in 2019, 36 participants from 15 countries across Latin America and the Caribbean took part in a radiological emergency exercise based on the 1987 Goiania accident in Brazil. The School, hosted by CNEN and delivered through the IAEA technical cooperation programme, was funded by the PUI.

“The use of case studies can facilitate the students’ awareness of many different aspects of preparedness and response. Lessons identified during the response to emergencies and accidents can save lives,” said dos Santos, who was also one of the nine Spanish-speaking lecturers at the School in Rio de Janeiro.

Due to the pandemic, the School was not held in 2020 and 2021. The next School for the Latin America and the Caribbean region is planned for 2022. Further Schools are also being planned for experts from countries in regions around the world, such as small island developing States from the Caribbean and the Pacific, as well as for countries in Africa and Europe.

By the end of the School, participants not only gain competence in EPR management, but they also gain a network of fellow EPR leaders. “We realize that these training programmes create a space where professional links are developed,” Nestoroska Madjunarova said. “A community is created, and participants continue to stay in touch and exchange information and experiences after the School, which will improve knowledge sharing and cooperation among EPR professionals from different Member States and, consequently, contribute to improved harmonization globally.”

IAEA Peaceful Uses Initiative (PUI) funds IAEA projects for the peaceful uses of nuclear technology. It originated at the 2010 Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), when the United States of America proposed to raise US $100 million over the following five years for IAEA activities in support of development.

Now firmly established as an important vehicle to mobilize extrabudgetary contributions to support unfunded IAEA activities, including technical cooperation projects, the PUI has greatly helped the IAEA implement its work relevant to Article IV of the NPT, which covers the peaceful use of nuclear energy.

The PUI is now also supported by 25 IAEA Member States, the European Commission, and a private corporation, and has received in total more than €200 million in contributions (as of December 2021). It has supported over 400 projects in more than 150 countries, in areas including food security, water resource management, human and animal health, nuclear power infrastructure development, and nuclear and radiation safety.

Furthermore, multi-year pledges for the PUI by several Member States have helped the IAEA sustain long-term, large-scale projects, and respond quickly and flexibly to emergencies and the evolving and emerging priorities of Member States, such as the responses to the Ebola and Zika viruses, natural disasters, and the COVID-19 pandemic.