Emergency planning EXERCISE

At this moment, while you are reading this page, Belgoprocess is taking part in an emergency planning exercise. 
Belgoprocess’ internal emergency plan has been activated and actions are being coordinated from its Emergency Headquarters to make maximum use of all available resources for managing the emergency situation.

During emergency planning exercises, company sirens may be tested, emergency services may arrive and depart, traffic may be temporarily diverted, and so on, depending on the scope of the emergency planning exercise.

The purpose of emergency planning exercises is to test out the procedures described in emergency and intervention plans in a practical situation. This is followed by an evaluation in order to identify possible areas for improvement. Emergency planning exercises provide an opportunity to test the national, provincial and municipal emergency plans, as well as the internal emergency plans of companies in the nuclear sector, including Belgoprocess.

Numerous actors are mobilised in the activation of the national nuclear and radiological emergency plan. During an exercise, the emergency services and the departments concerned carry out a practical assessment of the effectiveness of the existing procedures and of their cooperation. Once this is complete, the aspects tested are evaluated in depth, in order to adapt them if necessary, on the basis of the experience gained and the lessons learned. All the departments concerned therefore remain vigilant of opportunities for continuous improvement of the procedures to be used in the event of a real-life incident in order to protect the population.

The Belgoprocess Emergency Headquarters are the premises on the Belgoprocess site that are equipped with the resources and documentation required for crisis management in emergency situations.

The Belgoprocess emergency plan (or company emergency plan) is the plan that defines how Belgoprocess as an organisation prepares for emergencies and how emergencies are dealt with in order to return to a normal situation. 
The emergency plan defines the organisational structures, procedures, and arrangements for emergencies. The plan describes who has which tasks and powers in emergency situations and how coordination with regulations and other organisations takes place. Emergency response plans are prepared in advance in order to deal effectively with emergency situations. They describe what action to take in different types of emergency situations.