HPA is updating and consolidating its advice on radiation emergencies and recovery.
Current advice was published in 1997. Since 2007, the ICRP has issued a set of
recommendations to elaborate its guidance for emergency exposure and existing exposure
situations. It is expected that the European Basic Safety Standards, when published, will
also reflect the ICRP recommendations. The new ICRP guidance represents a marked change in
approach, with emphasis placed on optimisation of whole protection strategies using
reference levels of residual dose. These new concepts as well as the relevant lessons
identified following the Fukushima accident will be included in the new UK advice
document. The scope of the UK advice includes reactor and transport accidents as well as
releases from waste stores, reprocessing and defence activities. The revised advice will
consider the initiation of emergency countermeasures based on averted dose criteria and
optimisation of the subsequent protection strategy based on reference levels of residual
dose. The advice will illustrate that the type of protection strategy selected depends on
the contribution of different exposure pathways over time to projected dose, and this will
vary according to the scenarios considered as reasonably foreseeable. Due to the potential
impact of the advice, a wide range of stakeholders are being consulted. In particular,
feedback will be required on the potential for adapting current practices for sheltering
and stable iodine prophylaxis to situations involving longer duration releases or those
with a prolonged threat phase. The advice document will contain guidance for emergency
planning and response, criteria for the withdrawal of emergency countermeasures, factors
to consider during the transition to an existing exposure situation and the management of
long term contaminated areas. It is the first time that the whole spectrum of advice will
be presented in a single publication, which is expected to be published in 2013, following
a public consultation process.