The state of radiological protection; views of the radiation protection profession: IRPA13, Glasgow, May 2012.

The IRPA13 Congress took place from 14-18 May 2012 in Glasgow, Scotland, UK, and was attended by almost 1500 radiological protection professionals. The scientific programme of the Congress was designed to capture a snapshot of the profession's views of the current state of knowledge, and of the challenges seen for the coming years. This paper provides a summary of these results of the Congress in twelve key scientific areas that served as the structural backbone of IRPA13.

A new handbook on triage, monitoring and treatment of people following malevolent use of radiation.

Through the Euratom 6 Framework Programme, the European Commission is co-sponsoring the specific targeted research project "Triage, Monitoring and Treatment-Handbook for management of the public in the event of malevolent use of radiation" (TMT Handbook). The main aim of the project is to produce a handbook for the effective and timely triage, monitoring, and treatment of people exposed to radiation following a malevolent act. The World Health Organization contributed to this project with development of guidelines on medical and public health response. A training course based on the TMT Handbook was developed. It will help to enhance national capacity for planning and response to acts involving the malevolent use of radiation. The course will also provide a platform to identify common challenges and discuss opportunities for harmonizing response strategies throughout the European Union. Focusing on its medical and public health response aspects, this paper introduces the TMT Handbook and its potential applicability not only as practical guidance for end-users but also as a useful tool for education and training.

How long is long-term? Reflections based on over 20 years of post-Chernobyl management in Norway.

The radiation protection community has only recently started the important work of preparedness for long-term post-accidental management of radioactively contaminated areas, like for instance the EC projects STRATEGY, FARMING and EURANOS and the French authorities' CODIRPA and PAREX programmes. There are, however, different views concerning how long a long-term management might last. Based on the Norwegian and former Soviet Union experience after the Chernobyl accident, it is clear that a nuclear accident can entail decades of necessary management and rehabilitation of living conditions. The time period is dependent on a number of factors, e.g. amount of fallout, type of radionuclides, land use of contaminated area, number and density of people affected and available techniques and resources for implementing countermeasures. This paper discusses the management strategy implemented in Norway after the Chernobyl accident, the need for changing strategy over time and the important involvement of affected groups. Careful planning and reflections should be undertaken before actions are taken in the recovery phase, keeping in mind the possibility of decades with problems.