Emergency arrangements for nuclear power stations

In all countries having nuclear power plants, emergency procedures are an important aspect of the operation of the installations. In the UK, emergency plans have been an essential part of each nuclear power station since the beginning of the industry in the 1950s. Following the accident at TMI in March 1979, a major review of the emergency planning arrangements was conducted and improvements were instigated as the result of the many recommendations resulting from the inquiry. Again, the tragedy at Chernobyl has further advanced and reinforced improvements. This paper describes the comprehensive emergency schemes at present in force in the UK. The emergency procedures described here concentrate on one of the improvements made, which was the setting up of Operational Support Centres (OSCs). (author)