Standards for Preparedness and Response

One of the statutory functions of the IAEA is to establish or adopt standards of safety for the protection of health, life and property in the development and application of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes. The IAEA’s safety standards are not legally binding in Member States but may be adopted by them, at their own discretion, for use in national regulations in respect of their own activities. The standards are binding on the IAEA in relation to its own operations and on States in relation to operations assisted by the IAEA.

Published Safety Standards

The most recent Safety standard relating to Emergency Preparedness and Response was approved for publication in March 2002 in the Safety Standards Series.

Safety Requirements
Title
Published
Preparedness and Response for a Nuclear or Radiological Emergency (FAO, IAEA, ILO, OCHA, OECD/NEA, PAHO, WHO). These Requirements are also available in Arabic; Chinese; French; Russian; Spanish
2002

Under the Convention on Assistance in the Case of a Nuclear Accident or Radiological Emergency, one function of the IAEA is to collect and disseminate to States Parties and Member States information concerning methodologies, techniques and available results of research relating to response to such emergencies. The primary objectives of the Safety Guide, co-sponsored by FAO, OCHA, ILO, PAHO and WHO, are to provide guidance on preparedness and response for a nuclear or radiological emergency, to describe appropriate responses to a range of emergencies, and to provide background information on past experience, thus helping the user to better implement arrangements that address the underlying issues.

Safety Guide
Title
Published
Arrangements for Preparedness and Response for a Nuclear or Radiological Emergency (co-sponsors FAO, OCHA, ILO, PAHO and WHO)
2007

Safety Standards under development

Safety standards relating to Emergency Preparedness and Response are being developed to update, consolidate, streamline and where necessary expand on the standards published prior to 1995/96. The new standards will supersede some of the relevant Safety Series documents and will be published in the new IAEA Safety Standards Series.

Planned Safety Guides
Proposed Title
Expected
DS44
Criteria for Use in Planning Response to Nuclear and Radiological Emergencies
2010

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