Guidance

Flood risks for non-nuclear users of radioactive substances

Updated 7 June 2022

Applies to England

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This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/flood-risks-for-non-nuclear-users-of-radioactive-substances/flood-risks-for-non-nuclear-users-of-radioactive-substances

This guidance is about managing your flood risk so you can keep radioactive substances safe. You should consider how climate change could increase your risk of flooding and your risk of causing pollution as a result. You can do this by assessing:

  • your risk of flooding
  • what you need to do to reduce the risk of causing pollution as a result of flooding

The Environment Agency has produced general guidance to help businesses prepare for flooding. It provides information on assessing your risk, developing a flood plan and protective actions you can take. You can also check if you are in an area at risk of flooding by viewing your area’s flood maps.

1. Risks to consider

The risks you need to consider in your flood risk planning are:

  • equipment being washed away
  • contamination by dispersal of unsealed radioactive substances
  • damage to sealed sources and associated equipment
  • disruption to the security arrangements that protect sealed sources from unauthorised access or removal

You should discuss your plans with your Environment Agency officer and, where appropriate, police Counter-Terrorism Security Adviser (CTSA). Your Radioactive Waste Adviser, if you have one, may be able to help.

2. Measures to take

You must keep radioactive substances safe and secure at all times. As far as possible, you should protect the following from flooding:

  • radioactive substances
  • significant associated equipment
  • records

This may be by just moving them to a higher place, temporarily or permanently (sealed sources are often stored in basements).

You may need additional protection and security.

If you need to relocate radioactive substances to another premises then you must inform the Environment Agency as early as possible.

You must keep up to date with local conditions at times of high flood risk. Find out if you are:

3. If you are flooded

As far as possible, you must maintain normal levels of security for your sources at all times.

If you are flooded, discuss the situation with your Environment Agency officer and, where appropriate, police Counter-Terrorism Security Adviser (CTSA).

Tell the local police control point for the incident if there are radioactive sources in a flooded building. When you are recovering from flooding you should:

  • make sure that no radioactive substances are missing
  • check and monitor for contamination and radiation
  • service any equipment which has been or could have been damaged, according to the manufacturer’s advice
  • consider lessons learnt from the flooding

4. Contact the Environment Agency

For more information contact your local radioactive substances regulation (RSR) officer

Where necessary, the RSR officer will arrange for you to speak with other Environment Agency officers specialising in flood risk management.

General enquiries

National Customer Contact Centre
PO Box 544
Rotherham
S60 1BY

Email enquiries@environment-agency.gov.uk

Telephone 03708 506 506

Telephone from outside the UK (Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm GMT) +44 (0) 114 282 5312

Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm.

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