Seminar on crisis management and radiation protection

On Friday, 12 January 2018, the High Commission for National Protection (Haut-Commissariat à la Protection Nationale, HCPN), in conjunction with the National Health Directorate, held a seminar on crisis management and radiation protection in the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg. Stakeholders in the Grand Duchy's hospital sector and representatives of the European institutions were invited to attend.

The morning session of the seminar covered the measures and actions planned for by the Luxembourg Government in the event of a nuclear crisis situation occurring. The emergency response plan in the event of a nuclear accidentwas presented in depth. The plan, adopted by the Government on 15 October 2014, lays down the alert procedures and the protective, preventive and emergency measures for the population in the event of any radiological emergency, and in particular in the event of an accident at the Cattenom nuclear power station or any other site with a nuclear fuel cycle.

The seminar continued in the afternoon with presentations by the various stakeholders involved in crisis management. The HCPN gave a brief presentation of all its tasks, the various government plans, and emergency planning in the Grand Duchy on the basis of activating the plan for vigilance in the face of the threat of acts of terrorism (VIGILNAT-Plan) and the "Mass casualties" government plan. The Crisis Communication Department (Service de la Communication de Crise, SCC) also described the communication tools to be used in the event of a crisis occurring, and the functioning of the flow of information with the press and to the general public. A Grand-Ducal Police representative described its security policy in and around hospitals, and a representative of the Rescue Services Agency explained the organisation and functioning of its operations management centre.