IAEAInternational Atomic Energy Agency

EPR-Public CommunicationsL-011

Good Practices for PIOs

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Objective

• To review good practices to improve effectiveness of communications before, during and after an emergency;

• How to apply these practices in planning communication for a radiological or nuclear emergency.

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Outline

• Review: Good communications practices;• Putting practices into action.

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Review: Good communications practices

• Give people things they can do;• Don’t delay in communicating about risk;• Provide as much relevant information, as soon as

possible; it can be updated.• If information needs to be changed as the

emergency evolves, clearly explain why to avoid loss of credibility and trust;

• Initial perceptions will “frame” the risk in the public’s mind;

• Once the risk has been framed it will be difficult to shift this perception.

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Review: Good communications practices

• Communicate clearly about who is at risk and who is not;

• Plan how to deal with increased anxiety;• Consider the perspective of the audience in

developing information and messages to be communicated;

• Consider pre-existing knowledge and language skills;

• Use plain language in explaining scientific and technical information.

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Review: Good communications practices

• Prepare as much information in advance as possible;

• Anticipate likely questions and prepare answers in advance.

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Review: Good communications practices

• Identify effective communications channels in advance;

• Consider the risks and benefits of both controlled and uncontrolled channels.

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Review: Good communications practices

• Use the internet to its full advantage;• Plan for high use demands of an emergency —

bandwidth and low graphic versions;• Listserv for users to sign up for updates;• Enhanced media relations;• Monitor the Internet for misinformation and

rumours;• Mobile phones have made it possible to broadcast

text messages with emergency information.

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Review: Learning from past practices

IAEA Public Communications during the response to TEPCO’s Fukushima-Daiichi NPP accident

• Insufficient bandwidth to meet demand• Caused long delays in web site response;• Site required 45 times more bandwidth than normal;

• Limited web site access• For first three weeks, web site access was often not

possible, led to public criticism of IAEA;• Use of Facebook

• To overcome initial black-out period, all emergency content was posted on Facebook, which remained visible without loss through the emergency period;

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Putting practices into action

• Plan for possible types of emergencies;• Identify which nuclear technology and

radiation sources are in use;• Are these sources fixed or mobile?

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Putting practices into action

IAEA Threat CategoriesI—facilities, such as nuclear power plants, which could give

rise to severe deterministic health effects;II—facilities, such as research reactors, which could give rise

to significant off-site doses;III—facilities, such as industrial irradiation facilities, which

could give rise to significant on-site doses;IV—activities that could warrant urgent protective actions in

an unforeseeable location;V—activities, not normally involving radiation, which could be

contaminated as a result of events at a category I or II facility.

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Putting practices into action

What will need to be communicated and to whom:• Technology;• Isotopes;• Possible protective actions;• Duration;• Affected audience;• Warning• Give people something they can do.

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Putting practices into action

How to plan for this communication:• Duration of response;• Expected public information activities;• Facilities and number of staff required;• Supporting services;• Developing a roster and assigning staff;• Training required;• Shifts required.

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Putting practices into action

• Working through these elements will help you create a practical response plan for public information during an emergency;

• This plan can be further refined by considering other scenarios, particularly those involving mobile sources of radiation, as these can occur anywhere.

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Putting practices into action

• Prepare standardized templates in advance:• “Holding Statements”;• Press releases;• Media advisories;• Fact sheets on radioisotopes or facilities where

a radiation emergency could occur.

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Sample holding statementSample Holding Statement (For use before specific information is available):  Date: [date of issue] [News Release Number] Time: [time of issue]  

[Organization name] confirms that it has received a report of [nature of event]. According to the information received at this time, the [event] occurred at [time and location]. Reports indicate that [any confirmed information on the event] and that [any initial measures] measures are being taken to protect [the public, responders, products, trade, or specify as appropriate]. The [specify plan as appropriate] emergency plan has now been activated [and we have activated our public information centre].  [Organization name] is coordinating its activities with responders now at the scene and other involved agencies [specify as appropriate]. We will be providing further information as soon as it becomes available. [Provide details on timing of any updates or briefings]. The next [briefing/update] will take place at [location and/or time].  ——————— For further information:  Name [name of contact for the media]: Title [title of media contact]: Organization: Telephone: Mobile: Email: Website:

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Putting practices into action

• Train staff who could be involved in communicating during an emergency:• Response structure to be used and reporting up;• Plans, procedures and checklists;• Approval procedures;• Radiation protection and emergency measures.

• Practice regularly by participating in emergency simulation exercises and drills.

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Opportunities to engage the media

• Find opportunities to engage the media through proactive media relations activities:• Emergency simulation exercises;• Training opportunities for journalists and editors;• Establish regular contact with key media;• Build positive relations with all media by

responding in a timely fashion to their requests for information or interviews.

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Putting practices into action

• Develop a communications plan for the recovery phase;• Communications must take into account the scale of the

impact of remediation measures on different communities;• Need to communicate any decontamination measures

ongoing or planned;• Communicate about any risks, pathways,

countermeasures, dose estimates, monitoring programs, food restrictions and effectiveness of clean up measures;

• When permitting people to return, any remaining contamination and risks will need to be communicated clearly;

• Consider involving those affected in remediation decisions.

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A final thought

Remember: you will communicate better with people if you can think as they are thinking.