The attempts of the IAEA Division of Public Information to provide appropriate information on nuclear or radiological incidents and accidents rapidly

Increasingly, international organisations like the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) seem to be contacted for information on incidents or accidents in the nuclear field. There is a great amount of information stored and there exist many channels through which the IAEA can be of use for an early assessment of an incident or accident or for initial understanding of what could have happened. The information obtained through the Convention on Early Notification of a Nuclear Accident, the Convention on Assistance in the Case of a Nuclear Accident or Radiological Emergency as well as the International Nuclear Event Scale INES is discussed. (author)