Handling of Radiation Accidents. Proceedings of a Symposium on the Handling of Radiation Accidents

Many types of radiation accidents can theoretically be foreseen, ranging from minor spills of radioactive materials within a laboratory to serious accidents characterized by the presence of intense radiation fields and the uncontrolled release of large quantities of radioactive contaminants. They could lead to the irradiation and contamination of persons and the contamination of premises and the natural environment. As a result of the great emphasis that has been placed on safety in the development of nuclear energy programmes and in the use of radiation sources, accidents involving the serious overexposure of persons are in fact very rare. Nevertheless such accidents can occur and it is necessary to plan in advance for those that can be,reasonably foreseen. The handling of serious radiation accidents requires the co-operation of experts with diverse qualifications and experience: radiation monitoring and dosimetry specialists; medical doctors experienced in diagnosing and treating radiation injury; nuclear safety, decontamination and waste management specialists; public relations officers; and many others. This symposium, organized by the International Atomic Energy Agency and the World Health Organization as part of a co-ordinated programme, was designed to enable these specialists to discuss their problems on a very broad basis. The meeting was attended by 212 participants from 34 countries and 9 international organizations. In his opening address Professor Zheludev reminded the participants that the good safety record of the nuclear industry must not give rise to complacency and that we must all learn as much as possible from reported accidents in order to be ready to deal promptly and effectively with those that may be encountered in the future. It is noteworthy that some of the most severe injuries reported were suffered by persons who found lost-sources and carried them for long periods without any knowledge of the dangers involved. Organizational arrangements for handling emergency situations are necessarily complex and involve co-operation between the responsible authorities on the spot and many sources of outside assistance. Such arrangements received considerable attention in the symposium and there was a free exchange of opinions and experience. Another interesting topic of discussion was the use of remotely- controlled manipulating devices for performing necessary emergency operations in high-level radiation and contamination areas. Accident experience at a national level has been treated with some reticence in the past and an encouraging feature of this meeting was the freedom with which such experiences were discussed. The present book contains the papers and a complete record of the discussions which followed their presentation. The book ends with a digest of the concluding panel discussion