The Radiation (Emergency Preparedness and Public Information) Regulations 2019 were laid before Parliament on 27th March 2019 and came into force on 22nd May 2019.
Under REPPIR 2019, UKHSA is a statutory consultee for Operator's emergency Plans (Regulation 10(5) e & f) and Local Authority's off-site emergency plans (Regulation 11(5) f & g). General enquiries to UKHSA in respect of REPPIR 2019 should be emailed to REPPIR.Enquiries@phe.gov.uk.
A report summarising the methodology for the derivation of reference values for Schedule 1 of the REPPIR 2019 regulations has been published. Also discussed are aspects of the underlying assumptions, including the dose criteria applied, specification of the default parameters for the calculations, and presentation of the values themselves, for over 700 radionuclides.
Two sets of datafiles have been developed to assist operators in their application of REPPIR 2019. Brief descriptions and an explanation of how to access the datafiles are detailed in a summary document. A review of both datafiles was conducted in 2022 and concluded that the contents are still robust and suitable for the intended purpose.To request one or both datafiles, please email: REPPIRdatafiles@phe.gov.uk.
UKHSA have produced a report describing the recommended methodology for operators of sites holding radioactive material to assess if there is a need for, and the extent of, emergency plans. While not mandatory, the adoption of this consequence assessment methodology by operators will ensure that the requirements of schedule 3 of REPPIR are met and that the operator is able to provide the local authority with suitable information on the range of possible consequences from a release. The methodology was reviewed in 2022 and it was decided that no revisions were required in the short term.
A comprehensive report describing PHE's advice on public health protection in the event of radiation emergencies was published in 2019. The advice applies to the protection of public health in a wide range of radiation emergencies and is intended to be applied pragmatically and flexibly during preparedness, response and recovery phases, according to the scale and type of release; location specific factors; and the needs of the local community. The advice is primarily intended to inform those at national and local level who have responsibility for developing radiation emergency plans to protect the public.