Nine months after the disaster at the Fukushima nuclear power plant, Japan is working to contain radiation exposure in the region of the accident. The challenges confronting the country in this endeavour are shown by the new ENSI report on the radiological effects of the accident on 11 March 2011. ENSI already deduced some “Lessons learned for Swiss radiation protection” at the end of October.
The analysis of the accidents at Fukushima confirms that Swiss nuclear plants are safe. However, the Swiss Federal Nuclear Safety Inspectorate (ENSI) has identified a variety of findings (Lessons Learned) from Fukushima which should now be utilised to continue optimising the safety of Switzerland’s nuclear power plants. All the measures that need to be implemented on the basis of these findings should be in place by 2015.
Immediately after the first live images of the accident in the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant were broadcast all over the world on 11 March 2011, the Swiss Federal Nuclear Safety Inspectorate (ENSI) convened a group of internal experts comprising engineers, geophysicists, nuclear physicists and psychologists.
The Swiss Federal Nuclear Safety Inspectorate (ENSI) intends to continue improving the safety of Switzerland’s nuclear power plants. After its analysis of the events at Fukushima, ENSI therefore defined follow-up measures for the current year relating to eleven key topics.
At the OECD Forum in Paris, ENSI Director Hans Wanner argued for a strengthening of the international monitoring of nuclear power. This followed comments by the Swiss Federal Councillor Doris Leuthard at yesterday’s meeting of minsters from the G8 and G20 countries on nuclear safety in Paris during which she called for internationally binding safety standards. Compliance with such standards should be monitored by independent inspectors from other countries and in the interests of transparency the IAEA, the International Atomic Energy Agency should facilitate easy access to the results.
