Regulation 22 requires information to be provided to the public in the event of an emergency. Regulation 22 applies to all local authorities whether or not they have premises in their area to which REPPIR applies.
Guidance
580 Regulation 22 applies to all local authorities whether or not they have REPPIR premises in their area. It relates to general duties on local authorities to have arrangements to provide information about any kind of emergency involving ionising radiation (referred to as an ‘emergency’ in this regulation and associated guidance) and is not limited to emergencies occurring on nuclear or radiological premises. Regulation 22 applies to transport radiation emergencies, in addition to other types of emergency not otherwise covered by the rest of these Regulations (for examples and further guidance on the definition of ‘emergency’ see regulation 22(6)). Other requirements for transport radiation emergencies, including prior information, are included in CDG.
581 The context of this regulation is planning for situations where an emergency has already occurred, including radiation emergencies as defined in these Regulations based on perceived risk. Such planning is easier for premises of known hazard potential, but will be more difficult for events of unpredictable location and nature, such as transport radiation emergencies, a fallen nuclear powered satellite, or radioactive contamination being present in a public area.
582 The purpose of this regulation is to ensure that those members of the public actually affected by an emergency are informed promptly of the facts of the emergency and of any protective action they should take. For this reason the arrangements should be adaptable dependant on the nature and extent of the emergency.
583 This regulation is for the benefit of those on whom the protective action may have a direct impact. It is not concerned with informing the wider public, important though prompt and accurate reporting would be in such circumstances.
Regulation
(1) Every local authority must prepare and keep up to date arrangements to supply, in the event of an emergency in that local authority’s area (however that emergency may arise), information about and advice on the facts of the emergency, of the steps to be taken and, as appropriate, of the protective action applicable.
Guidance
584 Every local authority must make and keep up to date arrangements to supply information and advice to the public in the event of an emergency affecting members of the public in its area. This duty applies to all local authorities, regardless of whether there is a REPPIR premises in their area. It is intended to reinforce the relationship between making arrangements to supply information and emergency planning. Where a local authority has an off-site emergency plan under these Regulations, the arrangements for supplying information to the public about radiation emergencies as defined in REPPIR should be included in the plan. Each responding organisation has its own emergency arrangements. The role of the local authority is to ensure that the arrangements for providing information come together in a complementary and comprehensive way to form the arrangements required by this regulation. The collective arrangements should consider how and from whom the information will be obtained.
585 There is no requirement for the local authority to prepare the information and advice themselves. For premises, the information and advice will usually be provided by other organisations, as outlined in the organisation’s emergency arrangements and the off-site emergency plan, where one exists. To cope with emergencies that are unpredictable in nature, location and timing, such as transport radiation emergencies, the arrangements to inform those affected will of necessity be less detailed and more flexible. Most local authorities and other Category 1 responders already have communication arrangements in place under duties in CCA which could be used as a basis for providing the information required by this regulation.
586 The key communication objectives in an emergency response are to deliver accurate, clear and timely information and advice to members of the public aimed at helping them to keep safe and well informed. Arrangements should be sufficiently flexible and extendable to address the wider range of emergencies to which this regulation applies and to address any escalation of events.
587 Local authorities should consider how the information will be conveyed and should consider the relevant points in paragraph 784 under Schedule 8. Any pre-prepared messages should also be tested and periodically reviewed.
588 If an emergency has not occurred, but an event has occurred which could reasonably lead to an emergency, it is important to avoid creating undue alarm. Therefore, care needs to be taken when deciding what information is provided and in what format whilst ensuring openness and transparency. Members of the public should be provided with the necessary factual information to enable them to understand the situation and respond in an appropriate manner if necessary.
589 Where there is the potential for a REPPIR radiation emergency to arise based on perceived risk, the communication arrangements should aim to provide reassurance to members of the public and manage local concerns. Such arrangements should form part of the emergency plans prepared under these Regulations.
Regulation
(2) The arrangements prepared and kept up to date under paragraph (1) must provide for the information to be supplied at regular intervals in an appropriate manner, without delay, and without their having to request it, to members of the public who are in that local authority’s area and who are actually affected by the emergency.
Guidance
590 The information arrangements should be directed towards those members of the public actually affected by an emergency. This group of people is more precisely defined by regulation 22(5).
591 The arrangements should ensure that, if an emergency occurs, the information is given to members of the public immediately, or, if considered necessary, before actual declaration of an emergency. The degree of detail will depend on the circumstances at the time. There could be some situations where an event has occurred and where a release of radioactivity is anticipated but has not yet occurred. This may allow time for greater breadth and depth of information to be supplied. In situations where speed of action is paramount or where there is a lack of information the initial alert may be restricted to a very basic message. As the emergency unfolds, more detail can be provided. The arrangements should ensure that information continues to be supplied in a way that is regular, appropriate, timely and unprompted.
592 Information may be supplied by the local authority or other organisations. The arrangements for supplying information should adopt an integrated approach to communicating with members of the public to ensure consistent messaging.
593 For premises with off-site emergency plans, arrangements may already exist with local media and other communication organisations to disseminate information and these may have been specified in the prior information and the off-site emergency plan and be part of the implementation arrangements of regulation 17. For other emergencies, a more generic approach may be required so information can be relayed promptly and those affected can be told where to access information.
594 The methods available to deliver urgent information to members of the public are extremely varied and some will depend on the availability of power supplies or phone lines. Using a range of public communication channels should maximise the success of the delivery of key messages. Consideration should be given to how community groups and vulnerable people will be reached, for example using any existing community resilience networks.
595 Arrangements should enable the identification of the most appropriate transmission method(s) of information, such as verbal and written, and the most appropriate communication channel(s), such as by the police, radio, television, internet or social media. Arrangements should take into account that the situation may be fast moving. Messages should be consistent but it may be appropriate to provide different information through different channels. For example, some channels may be more appropriate for the delivery of key messages which can be quickly understood such as radio, television, social media etc., whilst provision of more detailed information, to ensure openness and transparency, may be provided through other channels such as websites.
596 Further guidance on communicating with the public in an emergency is available in the Cabinet Office Guidance on Emergency Preparedness (Chapter 7: Communicating with the public) [37], Preparing Scotland, Warning and Informing Scotland [38] and NNEPRG [2].
Regulation
(3) In preparing those arrangements and in keeping them up to date, the local authority must consult any other authority likely to be responsible for implementing the relevant protective action referred to in Schedule 9 and such other persons as appear to it to be appropriate.
Guidance
597 Given the nature of the information arrangements, the consultation required by regulation 22(3) is essential to ensure that the roles played by different authorities dovetail effectively. Organisations likely to require consultation are a local authority involved in dissemination of prior information under these Regulations (if a different local authority to the local authority preparing the arrangements), any relevant operators, consignors of radioactive material, emergency services, the Agency, health authorities/boards and certain government departments. Where relevant, this could be done as part of the statutory consultation when preparing off-site emergency plans.
598 Some organisations may have responsibilities to issue advice or legal notice regarding protective action in Schedule 9 (for example water companies would consider that it is their duty to inform their customers of any restrictions on consumption of water supply). This should be considered when the local authority is setting up its arrangements and consulting on them. For example, local authorities will need to discuss this with the relevant organisation and come to a local agreement on how the advice will be supplied
Regulation
(4) The information and advice to be supplied in accordance with arrangements prepared and kept up to date under paragraph (1) must, if relevant to the type of emergency, include that specified in Schedule 9 and must, in any event, mention the authority or authorities responsible for implementing the relevant protective action referred to in that Schedule.
Guidance
599 This identifies the content of the information to be supplied as being that specified in Schedule 9, but only in so far as it is relevant to the type of emergency that has occurred. Schedule 9 is more indicative than prescriptive in nature. This contrasts with the prior information required by regulation 21, where the list in Schedule 8 is a minimum requirement. (For further guidance on the content of the information, see guidance to Schedule 9.)
Regulation
(5) For the purposes of paragraph (2), the members of the public referred to in that paragraph as actually affected are those whose cooperation is sought to put into effect any steps or protective action referred to in paragraph (1).
Guidance
600 The essential purpose of regulation 22 is to supply information to members of the public ‘actually affected by an emergency’. Regulation 22(5) defines this group of people as those whose co-operation is sought in implementing the protective action. This group of people will include, for example:
(a) those asked to shelter, evacuate or take stable iodine tablets;
(b) those asked to refrain from eating or selling foodstuffs they have grown themselves; or
(c) those with restriction on use of water supplies.
601 People living further afield who cannot obtain a particular foodstuff because of restrictions that have been imposed do not meet the definition of being actually affected. This is because the need for their co-operation to put into effect protective action does not arise.
602 For premises of known hazard potential it is possible to consider who may be affected by the emergency at the planning stage. For events of unpredictable location and nature, such as transport radiation emergencies, members of the public actually affected can only be identified at the time of the emergency, requiring greater flexibility in the arrangements for providing information.
Regulation
(6) In this regulation, “emergency” includes a radiation emergency, but also includes any other emergency (whether within the United Kingdom or otherwise) which does or could have the same impact as a radiation emergency in Great Britain.
Guidance
603 For the purposes of regulation 22 only, the term ‘emergency’ refers to any kind of emergency involving ionising radiation, whether or not the initiating event occurs in the United Kingdom, which could lead to exposure to ionising radiation of persons in Great Britain. This includes, for example, radiation emergencies as defined in these Regulations at premises, emergencies during the transport of radioactive material, fallen nuclear powered satellites, radioactive contamination being present in a public area, and releases of radiation from overseas nuclear power plants.
Regulation 22(4)
Guidance
799 This Schedule lists information to be provided in the event of an actual emergency through the arrangements established by local authorities under regulation 22. Regulation 22(4) makes clear that only information relevant to a particular type of emergency needs to be supplied. Inclusion of information that is not relevant to the particular circumstances of the emergency is likely to cause confusion and be counterproductive.
800 The information will be similar in scope to that required for prior information (see regulation 21 or the information made available for transport emergencies by Great Britain’s Transport Competent Authority (Office for Nuclear Regulation)) but only in respect of the specific emergency that has arisen. Where protective action is referred to, regulation 22(4) requires the information to identify the authority or authorities responsible for implementing that protective action.
801 Local authorities should develop pre-prepared information where possible and could use existing materials where appropriate. For example plain language information on radioactivity and its effects. In the event of an emergency, the local authority should then select the relevant pre-prepared information to provide to the public, amending it as appropriate to reflect the actual situation which occurs. Local authorities with off-site emergency plans under these Regulations should base this information on the protective action in the plan.
Regulation
1. Information on the type of emergency which has occurred, and, where possible, its characteristics, for example, its origin, extent and probable development.
Guidance
802 This would be much as provided under paragraph 2 of Schedule 8, but related to the specific emergency that has occurred, the conditions that actually exist and the likely course of development.
Regulation
2. Advice on protective action which may include, depending on the type of emergency—
(a) any restrictions on the consumption of certain foodstuffs and water supply likely to be contaminated;
(b) any basic rules on hygiene and decontamination;
(c) any recommendation to stay indoors;
(d) the distribution and use of protective substances;
(e) any evacuation arrangements;
(f) special warnings for certain population groups.
Guidance
803 This should be much as provided under paragraph 4 of Schedule 8, but related to the specific protective action relevant to the circumstances. Details concerning evacuation arrangements are especially important. The target audience of information in respect of sub-paragraph (a) could include providers of food that could be exposed to contamination and water. For example farmers and water suppliers, as well as consumers. (See paragraph 598 on regulation 22(3) regarding informing the public about restrictions on consumption of water.)
Regulation
3. Details concerning any announcements recommending cooperation with instructions or requests by the regulator.
Guidance
804 Individuals cannot be compelled to co-operate with any protective action decided on (such as evacuation), but any announcements should make clear that this is authoritative advice which it is in their interests to follow.
Regulation
4. Where an incident which is likely to give rise to a release of radioactivity or ionising radiation has taken place but no release has yet occurred, the information and advice should include the following—
(a) details of the relevant communications channels on which information about the incident will be available;
(b) preparatory advice to establishments with particular collective responsibilities; and
(c) recommendations to occupational groups particularly affected.
Guidance
805 Where an emergency does not lead immediately to a release of radioactivity, advantage should be taken of this pre-release period so far as is reasonably practicable (whilst considering the effects of the pre-release information, see paragraph 588 for further guidance) to:
(a) prepare people by advising them how to access the relevant communication channels to receive information, for example by getting them to tune in to local radio and television stations;
(b) alert and provide preparatory advice to establishments in the potentially affected area, such as schools, factories, commercial buildings, hospitals, general practices and nursing homes; and
(c) provide advice to providers of food that may potentially be exposed to contamination (e.g. farmers) on actions they can take to prevent or minimise the contamination of food.
806 The local authority should also consider particular establishments as priority places for the receipt of information about an emergency, including its magnitude, likely impact and guidance on the steps to be taken.
Regulation
5. If time permits, information setting out the basic facts about radioactivity and its effects on persons and on the environment.
Guidance
807 Under emergency circumstances, distribution of this background information cannot be a priority, but as time passes and if the pressure eases, this should be given attention. This information is the same as required by paragraph 1 of Schedule 8, and where a standard leaflet or booklet has been used for this purpose, this could be distributed to those affected. In the case of transport emergencies the prior information provided by the Office for Nuclear Regulation on its website could be used [to be published].
Regulation
6. In paragraph 4(b), “establishments with particular collective responsibilities” means hospitals, care homes, schools or similar establishments.