General guidelines for emergency planning by nuclear power plant operators (superseded by the version of 2014)

The new general guidelines replace the "Recommendations for emergency planning by nuclear power plant operators" issued by the Commission on Radiological Protection(SSK) (notification by the Federal Ministry of the Interior of 27 December 1976). The revised general guidelines follow the latest developments in science and technology, the recommendations issued by the Reactor Safety Commission(RSK) and the SSK on this subject over the last years as well as the on-site emergency planning concepts implemented in German nuclear power plants.

The on-site emergency planning concepts implemented by German nuclear power plant operators aim at preventing impacts in the vicinity of a site in the case of emergencies or, if such impacts can no longer be prevented, to limit them as much as possible. The planning that is required for this purpose includes organisational and technical arrangements on the site but also measures that ensure adequate communication with and reporting to the nuclear safety regulators and other organisations involved in off-site emergency management. The German Länder are in charge of the off-site emergency management, whereas the operator is responsible for on-site emergency planning.

The general guidelines' stipulations regarding on-site emergency planning by nuclear power plant operators can be applied correspondingly to other nuclear facilities (research reactors, interim storage sites for fuel elements, fuel fabrication plants etc.) in so far as these facilities require on-site emergency planning. Notwithstanding these higher-ranking requirements, the existing lower-level rules on on-site emergency planning have to be complied with as well. Additionally, a number of RSK recommendations stipulate further requirements for on-site emergency planning. The regulating depth chosen for the general guidelines prevents duplication with regard to existing lower-level provisions. When the general guidelines were developed, it proved nevertheless necessary to expand or explain in more detail a number of existing rules in order to fully represent the latest developments in science and technology.

The requirements for on-site emergency planning stipulated in the general guidelines are distinct from the requirements for off-site emergency planning which are provided in the "General guidelines for emergency planning in the vicinity of nuclear facilities" (Ministerial Gazette GMBl No. 62/63 of 19 December 2008).