TNAG-1776-FCO40-2530-Daya-Bay-nuclear-power-station-project-safety-concerns-in-Ho-1988 — Page 206

intervals. These exercises involve a great deal of preparation and planning and to be effective should be as realistic as practicable. Typically a scenario is devised which will involve all appropriate sections of the emergency organisation. A full range of time-dependent radiological consequences are calculated by the exercise planners, and information sheets giving details of the postulated events, instrument readings, and radiological survey results, are prepared for distribution to participants at appropriate stages in the exercise. For example, mock radiological survey results calculated by the exercise planners are only given to the mobile monitoring teams after they have arrived at each monitoring site and have made the appropriate measurements. The Press Briefing Centre may be exercised using a simulated media team.

Clearly, there will be advantages in arranging full-scale operational exercises in conjunction with the reactor operators and the authorities in the People's Republic of China, whenever possible. However, the requirements of the operators may not always produce an exercise scenario which will fully test the Hong Kong emergency

arrangements.

Frequency of Exercises

It is normal practice for nuclear installations to hold a full-scale exercise annually, but in view of the distance of Hong Kong from the Daya Bay site and the consequent limitation of the potential hazard, it is advised that a frequency of once every two years should be sufficient for full-scale exercises, provided performance is at a satisfactory standard.

The frequency of communication exercises, table-top exercises and practices for mobile survey teams may be determined by the problems revealed by full-scale exercises, but it is essential that all key sections of the emergency organisation should be involved in some type of exercise at least annually. Practices for mobile survey teams should be held twice a year.

13.4 Planning Emergency Exercises

General Considerations

Careful planning of full-scale emergency exercises is essential if full value is to be obtained for the effort involved. Requirements are as follows:

(i) the pre-defined objectives of the exercise should be achieved, and all appropriate organisations and

personnel should be fully involved;

(ii)

(iii)

(iv)

participants' proficiency and confidence should be improved, and their interest maintained; weaknesses in the Contingency Plan should be revealed;

the performance of the exercise should be fully assessed and action initiated to correct faults and implement improvements;

(v) safety of emergency personnel and the public should not be put at risk.

In planning an exercise, realism is not easily achievable for a number of reasons including the following:

members of the public cannot normally be involved;

(i)

(ii)

(iii)

radiological survey readings cannot be readily simulated and must be supplied by umpires or pre-prepared data sheets;

samples (eg vegetation, air-sampling media etc) may be 'spiked' by adding a small amount of a shortlived radioisotope to the sample, but this is a difficult and lengthy procedure, hardly justified by the results;

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