| INES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Rating | Condition | Definition | Example |
| The INES definitions were expanded and revised in 2008. Note that I have reworded the definitions, especially for INES 1, which seemed very circular in the original documents. My goal was brevity with accuracy. I also chose my own examples for #1 and #2, since those documents provided none. REF: Revised Nuclear and Radiation Events Scale Endorsed IAEA, 1 Oct 2008 |
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| 7 | Major Accident |
External release of much of the radiation in a large plant | Chernobyl (1986) |
| 6 | Serious Accident |
External release of massive amounts of radiation | Kyshtym (1957) |
| 5 | Accident with Off-site risk |
External release of large amounts of radiation, or severe damage and contamination inside plant |
Windscale (1957) |
| 4 | Accident without Off-site risk |
External radiation release with worst exposure ≤ 10 mSv, major damage to facility, or extreme exposure of any worker. |
Tokai-mura (1999) |
| 3 | Serious Incident |
External exposure above authorized limits but ≤ 0.1mSv, extreme worker exposure, or a "1-system-from-doom" case |
Vandellos NPP (1989) |
| 2 | Incident | Significant failure of safety measures but no major release Alternatively, plant worker exposure above annual limits |
Indian Point (2000) |
| 1 | Anomaly | Any operation or condition that falls outside specified limits, but without causing equipment damage or radiation release |
Onagawa NPS (2002) |