Joint session of the
42nd Meeting of the Radiation Safety Standards Committee
43rd Meeting of the Waste Safety Standards Committee 13 June 2017
Agenda Item: RW6.4 DS475
Draft Safety Guide: Arrangements for Public Communication in
Preparedness and Response to a Nuclear or Radiological
Emergency
Lisa Berthelot
IAEA, Incident and Emergency Centre
Background
• Safety Requirements No. GSR Part 7
– Requirement 13: • Communicating with the public throughout
a nuclear or radiological emergency
– Requirement 10: • Providing instructions, warnings, and relevant
information to the public for emergency preparedness and response
• Safety Requirements No. GSR Part 3
– Requirement 43: • An emergency management system providing for
essential elements at the scene, and at the local, national and international level, as appropriate, including providing reliable communication, including public information
Background (cont.)
• Safety Guide DS475 is intended to:
– Provide guidance for meeting the relevant Requirements of GSR Part 7 and
of GSR Part 3
– Provide guidance and recommendations on developing arrangements at the
preparedness stage, for communicating with the public and media and for
coordinating with all sources of official information in the preparedness and
response to a nuclear or radiological emergency
• With the objectives to:
– Protect the public
– Inform the public about the hazards, protective actions and other response
actions
– Build and maintain public trust
– Address public concerns regarding potential health effects
– Prevent panic and help ensure actions taken do more good than harm
– Minimize rumours and respond to misinformation
– Enable interested parties to make informed decisions
Background (cont.)
• Step 2: DPP Approval by CC
– 28 March 2013
• Step 3: DPP Approval by
Committees
– NSGC: 17 May 2013
– TRANSSC: 17 June 2013
– NUSSC: 28 June 2013
– RASSC/WASSC: 4 July 2013
• Step 4: DPP Approval by CSS
– 6 November 2013
• Step 5: Preparing the draft
– CS #1: 3-7 February 2014
– CS #2: 5-9 May 2014
– CS #3: 6-10 October 2014
– CS #4: 18-22 April 2016
– CS #5: 23-27 May 2016
– CS #6: 18-22 July 2016
– TM: 5-9 September 2016
– IACRNE Comments: Nov-Dec 2016
• Step 6: Draft approval by CC
– 10 April 2017
• Step 7: Draft approval by Committees
– EPReSC: 7 June 2017
Scope
• Audience: those responsible for
communicating with the public and media in a
radiation emergency within all organizations
involved in EPR at facility, local, national and
international levels, including those without a
daily communication function
Scope (cont.)
• Applicable to: – Full range of nuclear and radiological emergencies,
regardless of cause, including those due to a perceived hazard and with specific consideration for accident/human/technical error, natural disasters, and nuclear security events, and transition phase particularities
• Not applicable to: – Involvement of interested parties in the planning of
new NPPs or to ongoing interested parties involvement for existing facilities
– Communication about an existing exposure situation after the emergency is declared ended
Scope (cont.)
• Interface with other documents
Proposed Structure
1. INTRODUCTION
2. BASIC CONSIDERATIONS
Objectives of Public Communication
Principles of Public Communication
Challenges of Public Communication
3. PUBLIC COMMUNICATION ARRANGEMENTS IN EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS
4. PUBLIC COMMUNICATION ARRANGEMENTS IN EMERGENCY RESPONSE
5. ARRANGEMENTS FOR PUBLIC COMMUNICATION UNDER PARTICULAR
CIRCUMSTANCES
APPENDIX I: Example system to put radiological health hazards in perspective in a nuclear
or radiological emergency
REFERENCES
ANNEX I: Example of a PIO section within a unified command and control system
ANNEX II: Example Display of the system to put radiological health hazards in perspective
ANNEX III: Example list of advantages and disadvantages of selected communication tools
ANNEX IV: Example list of useful background information materials
ANNEX V: Example templates of a holding statement and an initial press release
CONTRIBUTORS TO DRAFTING AND REVIEW
Comments and Resolutions
• 7 comments received from WASSC from: – Germany
• All comments editorial or for clarification
• All comments accepted (as proposed or with modification)
All committees combined: • Total of 161 comments received from:
– Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Iraq, Japan, Slovakia, UAE, USA
• ~40% editorial comments
• Resolutions:
– 147 comments accepted (as proposed or with modification)
– 14 comments rejected
Comments and Resolutions
(cont.)
• Resolutions and revised draft were made
available on 29 May 2017 on Committees’
website
• To be shared:
– Some relevant comments and responses with
focus on those aspects that were accepted with
modification, or new text to address request for
clarification
Summary of Comments from
Other Committees
• Most rejected comments due to terminology inconsistencies (IAEA Safety Glossary, SPESS C Guidance for drafters, IAEA Style Manual)
• Additional new text on PIO selection, necessary knowledge, personality attributes
• New text on INES, explaining INES, the differences between communicating to technical community and to the public, how different level ratings and evolving emergencies can affect public reaction
• Scope on transition phase clarified
• “Protect the public” and “Am I safe?” moved earlier in text, including in Background section
• Addressing rumours clarified
• Social media use applicable to all MS and organizations
Action Requested
• Approval for submission to Member States and
relevant international organizations for soliciting
comments
Thank you!