THE NORWEGIAN NUCLEAR EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS SYSTEM

A new national organisation for nuclear emergency preparedness was est ablished in Norway in 1993, based on experiences from the Chernobyl ac cident. This organisation is based on authorities and research institu tions which in a normal situation have responsibilities and knowledge in fields that are also of major importance in a nuclear accident situ ation. The national emergency preparedness organisation consists of th e;Ministerial Go-ordination Committee, the Advisory Committee for Nucl ear Accidents and their secretariat at the Norwegian Radiation Protect ion Authority, and an Information Group. The organisations participati ng in the Advisory Committee operate measuring networks, stations and laboratories. In an early phase of an accident, a minor group from the Advisory Committee forms a Crisis Committee for Nuclear Accidents. Th is committee has been delegated the authority to make decisions in thi s phase. The organisation represented by its secretariat at the Norweg ian Radiation Protection Authority is responsible for coordinating the emergency planning, the measuring capacities and the professional nee ds ordinarily. The secretariat is on call 24 hours a day as point of c ontact according to bilateral and international agreements on early no tification. In this paper the features of the emergency preparedness o rganisation are presented.