IAEA team visits Finland to evaluate radiation emergency preparedness

An international team of experts formed by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is evaluating Finland’s preparedness for radiation emergency situations, said Finland's Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority (STUK) in a press release on Tuesday.

The information-gathering phase of the review, including visits to Finnish organisations, began on 25 August, and will continue until 1 September.

The IAEA team arrived following an invitation by the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment to review the situation.

The STUK is coordinating the preparation and implementation of the review. STUK also serves as the national contact point for the IAEA and is one of the organisations being evaluated.

The coordination group established by the ministry is chaired by Director Karim Peltonen of STUK.

During its mission the 11-member review team will interview Finnish authorities and other organisations involved in responding to radiation emergencies, as well as examine preparedness arrangements across different parts of Finland.

The review covers Finland’s entire national system for preparedness and response to radiation emergency situations.

The review currently being conducted in Finland is known as EPREV (Emergency Preparedness Review). It is a peer review service offered by the IAEA that evaluates a Member State’s arrangements for preparedness and response to radiation emergency situations. This is the first time that an EPREV mission has been carried out in Finland.

Terming the review highly valuable, Peltonen noted that a very large number of authorities and other organisations are involved in managing radiation emergency situations in Finland, and that they must be capable of working together smoothly and effectively under a variety of circumstances.

“The team carrying out this review consists of leading preparedness experts from seven countries. We will gain valuable insights into how our national system could potentially be improved or further developed. I also believe that these findings will support Finland’s broader national preparedness for wide-ranging emergency situations,” he said.

The final EPREV report will be completed in a few months’ time.

However, at the conclusion of the review mission currently under way, the team will already present its preliminary findings.