EPRIMS, an interactive, web-based tool which enables users to self-assess their emergency preparedness and response (EPR) arrangements for nuclear and radiological emergencies, was the topic of two IAEA training courses conducted recently for experts from Asia and the Pacific.
The training courses, delivered through the IAEA’s technical cooperation programme[1], were split into two sessions—one for West and Central Asian countries and one for East Asia— and took place from 10 to 21 August. The aim of the two courses was to promote the effective use of the Emergency and Preparedness Information Management System (EPRIMS), and to help countries assess their own compliance with Part 7 of the General Safety Requirements.
Summarizing the training’s benefits, IAEA Emergency Preparedness Officer Muzna Assi said, “EPRIMs promotes comprehensive information sharing, which is essential for the effective preparedness of Member States to respond to nuclear or radiological emergencies, irrespective of their initiator. Seven countries updated their EPRIMs profiles, and that was an outstanding outcome of the IAEA support provided.”
The training courses consisted of a series of presentations and lectures from the staff of the IAEA’s Incident and Emergency Centre (IEC), followed by exercises for participants and a series of open discussions with experts.
EPRIMS also contains a database of nuclear power reactor information and associated technical data, and the system is open to all IAEA Member States. The courses trained participants to carry out self-assessments using EPRIMS, and to measure the performance of their institution or organization against the provisions of GSR Part 7, which include the establishment of an emergency management system, the designation of roles and responsibilities and the accurate assessment of hazards, among other requirements.
Samer Jamal Ahmad Al Kharouf, a Nuclear Radiation Affairs Adviser of the Supreme Council for Environment of Bahrain, said, “I greatly benefited from the lectures and presentations given by the IAEA experts, and the discussions within my individual group were very beneficial. This workshop will help Bahrain update our modules in EPRIMS.”
