Incidents involving radioactivity

We are responsible for protecting and improving air, land and water in the UK. Consequently, we have a very important role to play in responding to radiation incidents.

What is a radiation incident?

A radiation incident is an event that could expose people to radiation and cause radioactive contamination of the environment. A radiation incident could include:

• Nuclear accidents that happen overseas which may affect the UK.
• Environmental events at civil or military nuclear sites in the UK.
• An incident whilst transporting nuclear materials or weapons.
• A major radiation incident arising from terrorist activities.
• Other radiation incidents such as damaged radioactive containers or power station leaks.

Why plan for radiation incidents?

Radiation incidents are rare, but when they happen they pose a potential risk to people and the environment. This is because:

• Human senses cannot detect ionising radiation - we need radiation monitoring equipment to find it.
• Radiation hazards may not be immediately recognised, so people and the environment could be affected before any action is taken.
• Clean-up and disposal costs are high, even for minor incidents.
• The public and the media take a special interest in any issue involving radiation. This is due to the level of debate about the nuclear industry, radioactive waste disposal and potential health risks from exposure to radiation.

What’s our role?

We are one of a number of organisations responsible for planning for and responding to radiation incidents. Together we develop, maintain and test contingency plans, provide information to the public, monitor for radiation and, in the event of a radiation incident, advise people on what to do to make sure their exposure to radiation is as low as possible.

• Incidents involving radioactivity: our role (PDF, 208KB)
• Report an incident