Incident/accident levels

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The notifiable events in nuclear facilities in Germany are classified on different levels in accordance with AtSMV corresponding to their importance with respect to safety.

• Level S: This level comprises such events which must be reported immediately to the damage inspection officials so that they can initiate examinations at short notice or cause measures to be taken. These events also include those presenting acute safety-related defects.

• Level E: This level comprises such events in which - although they do not require immediate measures to be taken by the damage inspection officials - the cause must be clarified and remedied in adequate time. These include for example events that are potentially significant - but not immediately so - from the point of view of safety.

• Level N: This level comprises events of general relevance to safety about which the damage inspection officials must be notified. These generally include events beyond routine operational events which are important regarding safety criteria (assurance of optimally incident-free and environmentally compatible operation of the plant; sufficiently reliable avoidance of incidents by adequate design, quality and operation of the plant).

• Level V: This level comprises all events in a nuclear power plant prior to the loading with nuclear fuel about which the damage inspection officials must be notified with regard to subsequent safe operation of the plant.

The International Atomic Energy Organisation has prepared an International Nuclear Event Scale (INES) for important events in nuclear installations which is also applied in Germany in addition to the aforementioned reporting levels.

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