Emergency response arrangements and exercises

In the unlikely event of a ship carrying highly radioactive nuclear materials getting into difficulty, a fully trained and equipped team of marine and nuclear experts are available on a 24-hour emergency standby system, in line with IAEA requirements.

In the event of a serious incident, this team would be dispatched to the ship and would direct and manage all remedial operations.

The strength and integrity of the packages coupled with the protection provided by the ship means that specialist assistance from countries adjacent to the ships route would not be required and the ship would not automatically head towards the nearest port to seek assistance.

If a PNTL vessel was lost at sea, it could be located by a sonar location system built into the ship itself, and capable of operation in waters over 6,000 metres deep.

Immediate arrangements can be put in hand to salvage the ship or cargo where required in the event of a vessel sinking. Since 1981, PNTL has had contractual arrangements with Smit Salvage, which has worldwide salvage facilities identified for all routes.

Emergency response exercises are a requirement of international radioactive materials transport regulations and form an essential part of any contingency planning system. Several emergency training exercises are held each year: they test the communication system, the expertise of the team members and the ship's crews as well as the performance of emergency equipment.

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Release: December 1998