The centre is staffed by 29 permanent experts with over 200 staff on standby in case of a major nuclear or radiological emergency, irrespective of the cause.
The centre remains operational 24/7, ready to spring into full operational mode if a report is received and meets established criteria, such as the declaration of an emergency at a nuclear power plant.
The centre is ready to respond and inform Member States and the public in any scenario that may be relevant for nuclear safety and security. For example, on 1 January this year, at 07:10 UTC, a magnitude 7.6 earthquake struck Japan’s Ishikawa Prefecture. Just over an hour later, the Emergency Response Manager at the IAEA received a message via the Agency’s Unified System for Information Exchange in Incidents and Emergencies (USIE): six of Japan’s nuclear power plants had potentially been affected. Fortunately, no abnormalities were reported, detailed inspections were carried out by Japan to ensure that no plant functions had been compromised or damaged. At midday that day, an update was received from Japan that all nuclear power plants in the country were operating normally. This message was posted on USIE, and countries received the information within seconds. The IAEA also promptly issued an update via social media, reassuring the public that it was in contact with Japanese authorities, there was no cause for concern, and monitoring would continue.
This prompt notification, proactive dissemination of information, and continuous communication with the national authorities — even in the absence of public safety impacts, as in the example above — exemplify best practices in disaster risk reduction. These lessons have been honed through responses to past emergencies, such as the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant accident.
“Over 1500 users from 173 Member States and 21 international organizations now rely on the IAEA’s platforms and systems for prompt notification and assistance in a nuclear emergency. Over the years, the IEC has been able to build up an agile, responsive system which can respond at short notice to any event,” said Carlos Torres Vidal, Director of the IAEA’s Incident and Emergency Centre.
While major nuclear accidents are very rare, the potential for incidents or emergencies remains — especially as radiation sources are used in a variety of contexts, from medicine to industry.
For example, earlier this year in Liberia, a radioactive source was discovered in a stormwater drain at the John F. Kennedy Medical Centre, the country’s largest hospital. Prompt intervention by the IAEA prevented a potential radiological incident, allowing the hospital to continue its operations without disruption. Read the full story.
Disasters can also compound one another: for instance, an earthquake may hinder efforts to respond to a nuclear emergency. Identifying, classifying, and preparing for swift action in response to different hazard scenarios is critical. Like pandemics and natural disasters, nuclear and radiological emergencies recognize no borders, amplifying the need for international coordination and information sharing.