An IAEA workshop that recently concluded in Melbourne, Australia, was the latest in a series of global events to train experts in the application of an IAEA safety standard on nuclear and radiological emergency preparedness and response.
The 20 participants from Australia, Georgia, India, Indonesia, Jordan, Malaysia, Myanmar, New Zealand, Viet Nam learned about concepts addressed in the IAEA General Safety Requirement Preparedness and Response for a Nuclear or Radiological Emergency (GSR Part 7) during the 2-5 October 2017 workshop.
GSR Part 7 updated the emergency preparedness and response (EPR) requirements in areas such as emergency management systems, protection strategies, resilience of emergency arrangements, protection of emergency workers and cooperation in case of a transboundary emergency. Since its adoption in 2015, the IAEA has held workshops to teach emergency planners and responders how to apply the new requirements within their national EPR frameworks.
Australia is working to use GSR Part 7 in a national Emergency Exposure Guide that serves as a national protection strategy helping jurisdictions to prepare for and to respond to a nuclear or radiological emergency. Participants from other countries also used the workshop to refine plans to integrate the new requirements in their national EPR arrangements.
“This workshop came at an important time for Australia, its states and territories, and for the region, as the use of radiation technologies here is increasing,” said Marcus Grzechnik, Director of the Monitoring and Emergency Response Section at the Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency. “The workshop led to a better understanding of the international requirements for harmonized and robust EPR arrangements.”
The IAEA will hold similar workshops in coming months at national levels in Belarus, Pakistan and Slovakia.
The workshops support States’ implementation of international requirements in a consistent and harmonized manner by conveying professional knowledge and by sharing global experiences.
