3. Monitoring Programs

Abstract

A comprehensive radiation monitoring program is an important component of safe operation of a nuclear installation and of the country’s emergency management system. It serves as a warning system to alert the operator and government of a radioactive release. Should a release occur, monitoring provides vital information to guide immediate actions at the installation and to mitigate the consequences of the release. Monitoring continues to contribute health and safety when the emergency phase has ended, and long-term effects and remedial actions need to be tracked and managed. Because monitoring is critical for operational compliance and safety, national governments require facility operators to establish monitoring programs. The government, at the national, regional, and local level, implements radiation monitoring programs to ensure it has data to protect its residents and emergency responders. Monitoring can also provide the public with a sense of safety on a daily basis. A monitoring program specifies the media (e.g., air, water, soil) and their radiological characteristics to be measured, radionuclides to be quantified, spatial locations and frequencies of sampling or measurements, and monitoring systems to be used. Monitoring systems include the sampling and measurement equipment, with the associated methodologies, that may be used to implement the monitoring programs. This Section discusses the objectives and scope of national, regional, facility-related, and special, event-related radiation monitoring programs. Detailed information on monitoring systems and procedures is provided in Section 4. The design and operation of radiation monitoring at the national and facility levels should be based on the outcomes of a prospective hazard assessment. The IAEA Safety Standards (IAEA, 2015a) establish a comprehensive set of requirements related to preparedness and response for a nuclear or radiological emergency. Specifically, the standards require that “the government shall ensure that a hazard assessment is performed to provide a basis for a graded approach in preparedness and response for a nuclear or radiological emergency.” The hazard assessment characterizes the radiological risks in terms of magnitude, probability, temporal, and spatial patterns of the potential exposures to members of the public. The hazard assessment should be conducted in the early stages of planning for a new facility, in response to a neighboring country’s activities or to update an earlier hazard assessment to reflect changes in knowledge, population growth and movement, and activities, among other variables. The scope and extent of the national, regional, and site-specific emergency response arrangements should be commensurate with the potential magnitude and type of hazard associated with the facility or activity. The hazard assessment should be done on national and international levels and should consider all potential hazards within and outside the country taking into account the uncertainties in and limitations of the information available. It should be periodically reviewed to address changes in the hazards and the experience and lessons from previous events. In the hazard assessment, facilities and activities, areas, and locations shall be identified for which a nuclear or radiological emergency could warrant any of the following: