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Advice to people in response to a radiation emergency
There are a number of potential risks to the public from exposure to ionising radiation or the spread of radioactive material within the environment from any radiation emergency within Suffolk. A range of guidance documents have been used to cover the different risks in the development of effective radiation emergency arrangements. There also exist potential risks from an incident involving the transport of radioactive material covered by the Carriage of Dangerous Goods (Amendment) Regulations 2019, and the risk from the unlikely event of a radiation emergency, including those arising out of terrorist acts, during the transportation of defence nuclear weapons and Special Nuclear Material. These form the basis of the radiation emergency Plan.
An incident at Sizewell power station may cause an increased risk to public health and require specific countermeasures to be put into place by the emergency services. A range of information has been produced to help you understand what might happen if an incident occurs.
Suffolk County Council lead on the planning for an off-site incident at Sizewell B. This plan is written in accordance with the Radiation Emergency Preparedness and Public Information Regulations 2019 (external website). The public version of the Radiation Emergency Plan sets out the multi-agency strategic and tactical management arrangements for dealing with a nuclear emergency (i.e. an incident with off-site radiological implications) at Sizewell B Nuclear Power Station.
SRF Radiation Emergency Plan
RadiationWhat to do before an incident
EDF Energy provides public information to local residents living within the Sizewell Detailed Emergency Planning Zone (DEPZ) on emergency planning arrangements around the Sizewell nuclear power station. See Sizewell DEPZ map. If you live within the DEPZ, 3 – 4kms from Sizewell B Power Station you will be issued with information on:
- Immediate Actions to take when warned of a nuclear incident;
- Consumption of food and water;
- Stable Iodine tablets, if appropriate;
- Pets & livestock;
- Location of Rest Centres;
- Contact information for:
Sizewell B Station: 01728 653653
Suffolk Joint Emergency Planning Unit: 01473 265321
Information for people living in the 30km (18.6 mile) Outline Emergency
Planning Zone and the 15km (9.3 mile) Extended Emergency Planning Zone. See Sizewell OPZ map.
What to do during an incident
- Living within the Sizewell DEPZ – follow the direction given to you via telephone warning.
- If you do not receive a telephone warning listen to local radio for further information.
- Information on any radioactive contamination and what you should do to protect yourself will be issued via local radio/TV.
- Living outside of the Sizewell DEPZ – listen to local radio and follow any guidance provided.
- Use the listed contacts to confirm what you should do if in doubt.
What to do post-incident
Once any release of radiation from Sizewell power station is brought under control, local emergency services will work quickly to provide information on where you can safely go and where any restrictions might be in place.
A Community Information Point will be established by the local authorities in communities that might be affected by any accident to provide a local point of contact and to help the community recover.
Hazard and Risk Assessments
Each Sizewell operator is required to identify the hazards and evaluate the risks from the work with ionising radiation that they propose to carry out and to make such assessments available to the public. These assessments are used to identify reasonably foreseeable accident scenarios. With the agreement of the Sizewell operators, the following assessments are available:
- Sizewell A Site: Report of Assessment
- Sizewell B Power Station: Report of the Assessment
Get Prepared
