Mumbai: Not one out of 33 incidents in various nuclear power plants in India during 2013-2014 was classified as an “accident” as per the International Nuclear and Radiological Event Scale, India’s atomic energy regulator said yesterday.
While 32 incidents were below scale or had no safety significance, only one was pegged at scale 1, signifying “anomaly” or implying minor problems in components while sufficient defence in depth remained, said the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB) in its annual report for 2013-2014.
The radiation exposure of occupational workers of nuclear facilities was well within the annual dose limits, it said.
Similarly, the estimated radiation exposure to the general public near the operating plants was much less than the annual limit of 1 mSv, as prescribed by AERB — the maximum being less than 2.8 percent for old plant sites and 0.1 percent for new ones.
The AERB said that the impact of this dose was indistinguishable from natural background radiation.
Liquid and gaseous wastes discharged into the environment from the operating plants were only a small fraction of the permitted technical specifications limits for operations.
Over the years, with constant efforts from AERB and dedicated commitment from utilities, the industrial safety performance of the Department of Atomic Energy units has improved appreciably, said the report.
The annual report focuses on the safety status at nuclear power plants, fuel cycle facilities and radiation facilities which AERB monitors, as a part of its mandate to keep the public informed on safety issues of radiological safety significance.
IANS
