Over the last few decades, the steady progress achieved in reducing planned exposures of
both workers and the public has been admirable in the nuclear sector. However, the
disproportionate focus on tiny public exposures and radioactive discharges associated with
normal operations came at a high price, and the quasi-denial of a risk of major accident
and related weaknesses in emergency preparedness and response came at even higher price.
Fukushima has unfortunately taught us that radiological protection (RP) for emergency and
post-emergency can be much more than a simple evacuation that lasts 24 to 48 hours with
people safely returning to their homes shortly afterward. On optimization of emergency and
post-emergency exposures, the only “show in town” in terms of international RP policies
improvements has been the issuance of the ICRP’s new general recommendations. However, no
matter how genuine these improvements were, they have not been “road tested” to the
practical reality of severe accidents. Post-Fukushima, there is a compelling case to
review the practical adequacy of key RP notions such as optimization, evacuation,
sheltering, reference levels for workers and the public, and to amend these notions with a
view to make the international RP system more useful in the event of a severe accident. In
pursuing further improvements to the international RP system, it should be clearly borne
in mind that the system is generally based on protection against the risk of cancer and
hereditary diseases. The system also protects against deterministic non-cancer effects on
tissues and organs. In seeking refinements of such protection notions, we invite ICRP to
pay increased attention to the fact that a continued balance must be struck between
beneficial activities which cause exposures, and protection. The global nuclear industry
is committed to help overcoming the above key RP issues as part of the RP community’s
upcoming international deliberations towards a more efficient international RP system.