Publication of a practical guide for the inhabitants of a region contaminated by a nuclear accident

This type of approach, which aims at anticipating the consequences of a major accident and developing a "risk awareness culture" with the stakeholders concerned (regional authorities, public services, non-governmental organisations, mainstream audiences), turns out to be particularly relevant in the light of recent crises (chemical fire at the Lubrizol plan in Rouen, Covid-19).

ASN recently launched, jointly with IRSN (French Institute for Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety) and ANCCLI (National Association of Local Information Commissions and Committees), a website to assist the local players, www.post-accident-nucleaire.fr. This website provides documentary and methodological resources to support local initiatives to prepare for management of the health, economic and social consequences of a nuclear accident.

In addition to this approach, the Codirpa is posting on the website post-accident-nucleaire.fr a guide about good radiation protection practices including advices for daily living, information on radioactivity and the environment and the possible methods of measuring radioactivity.

Including 28 fact sheets, this guide has been produced by a pluralistic group of the Codirpa under the coordination of ASN, CEPN (Nuclear Protection Evaluation Centre) and IRSN. It is based on the lessons learned from the Chernobyl and Fukushima accidents and the practical experience of the communities living in the contaminated regions of Belarus, Lapland and Japan. This guide is now available in English version!