IAEA guidelines for first response during the crucial hours following a nuclear event

This manual was developed in cooperation with CTIF in 2006 and much of it still applies. On the link below, this manual, and also newer manuals from 2021, can be downloaded for free from IAEA.org.  

The downloadable manual is available in multiple languages

Please also see link below to IAEA.org for newer manuals on the topic of radiological response. 

Download documents on radiological response on IAEA.org 

The aim  of this manual is  to provide  practical guidance for those who will  respond during  the first few hours to  a radiological emergency  (referred  to here as ‘first responders’) and  for national  officials who would support  this  early  response.

 It  provides  guidance  in  the  form  of  action  guides,  instructions,  and supporting  data that can  be easily  applied by  a State to build a basic capability  to respond to a radiological emergency.

 This guidance should be  adapted to fit the user State’s organizational arrangements, language,  terminology,  concept of  operation and capabilities.  

This report, published as part of the  IAEA Emergency  Preparedness and  Response Series, replaces and builds on  IAEA-TECDOC-1162 in the area of  early  response  and  first responders'  actions. It takes account of the lessons learned from using  IAEA-TECDOC-1162, previous emergencies and research, while  ensuring  consistency  with the  IAEA  Safety  Standards Series No. GS-R-2.

The publication is cosponsored by the Comité technique international de prévention et d’extinction du feu (CTIF), the Pan  American Health Organization (PAHO) and the  World Health Organization (WHO).

The  IAEA officers responsible for this  publication were E.  Buglova and  T. McKenna of the Department of Nuclear  Safety  and Security. 
 

Download this and various newer documents on radiological response on IAEA.org