Preparing for Emergencies at Nuclear Facilities

Aerial view of debris from the
earthquake and subsequent
tsunami that struck northern Japan.
U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication
Specialist 3rd Class Alexander Tidd

The images of the nuclear crisis earlier this year at the Fukushima I nuclear reactor in Japan, brought on by an earthquake-triggered tsunami, remain fresh in most of our minds. The response to the crisis prompted many to question just how prepared nuclear facilities around the world are to deal with emergencies.

With the newly issued 11320:2011, Nuclear Criticality Safety: Emergency Preparedness and Response, ISO hopes to help nuclear plants address some of those questions. The standard provides criteria for establishing and implementing actions that will mitigate the consequences of a nuclear criticality accident that could impact human health and safety, quality of life, property and the environment.

"At nuclear facilities, safety and anticipation are priorities," say Neal Harris, ISO11320:2011 project leader, and Calvin Hopper, Working Group convener. "This standard provides criteria for emergency preparedness and response to minimize consequences due to a nuclear criticality accident."

Learn more about the standard here.