Nuclear, radiation safety rules passed in Belarus

Norms and rules regulating nuclear and radiation safety have been passed by the Belarusian Emergencies Ministry's resolution No.52 of 2 October 2018.

The resolution was published by the national legal information website law.by on 15 December, BelTA has learned. The document stipulates criteria for measuring the degree of an emergency. A nuclear power plant is in an emergency preparedness mode if the safe operation of a power-generating unit is not viable but special measures to protect employees and the population are not required. An emergency is described as the mode of operation when the special measures are required.

Before nuclear fuel is delivered, the nuclear power plant operating enterprise will have to set up a commission to prevent and deal with emergencies. The nuclear power plant will have an internal crisis center and an external one where emergency response teams and commission members will convene.

The document stipulates actions, which have to be taken in an emergency, the procedure for spreading information in an emergency. Before nuclear fuel is delivered, the director of the nuclear power plant operating enterprise will have to authorize the scheme for notifying the organizations involved in responding to an emergency.

The resolution came into force on the official publication date.