This publication is intended for individuals and organizations that may be called upon to deal with the detection of and response to criminal or unauthorized acts involving nuclear or other radioactive material. It will also be useful for legislators, law enforcement agencies, government officials, technical experts, lawyers, diplomats and users of nuclear technology. In addition, the manual emphasizes the international initiatives for improving the security of nuclear and other radioactive material, and considers a variety of elements that are recognized as being essential for dealing with incidents of criminal or unauthorized acts involving such material.

This manual has been produced as part of the IAEA’s Action Plan for the Safety of Radiation Sources and Security of Radioactive Material. It is intended to: assist in the recognition and identification of objects thought to be radioactive devices, sources and transport packages; provide instruction on what to do and how to obtain further help; enhance awareness of the existence of radioactive devices, sources and transport packages; and provide information on the International Catalogue of Sealed Radioactive Sources and Devices through regulatory authorities in IAEA Member States. It will also help in identifying sources involved in events that are reported for inclusion in the IAEA’s Illicit Trafficking Database.

This publication provides guidelines for evaluating the engineering safety aspects of the protection of nuclear power plants against sabotage. The guidance, which is the result of extensive dialogue among safety and security specialists, takes into account the existing robustness of structures, systems and components and emphasizes those aspects of sabotage protection that work synergistically with the protection against extreme external occurrences of accidental origin, such as earthquakes, tornadoes and human induced events. The report introduces a defence in depth approach to sabotage protection, with layers comprising safety and security related systems and activities, and promotes self-assessment by the licensee in cooperation with the competent authorities.

Nuclear scientists have recognized that much can be learned from the analysis of reported cases of illicit trafficking of nuclear and other radioactive material, specifically, what the material has been used for, where it was obtained from (stock, scrap or waste) and whether the amount seized was only a sample of a much more significant quantity. These and many other questions can be answered through detailed technical characterization of seized material samples. The combination of scientific methods used for this purpose is normally referred to as nuclear forensics, which has become an indispensable tool for use in law enforcement investigations of nuclear trafficking. This publication is unique in bringing together for the first time a concise but comprehensive description of the various tools and procedures of nuclear forensic investigations that have been described independently in the scientific literature. It also incorporates the experience accumulated over the past decade by law enforcement agencies and nuclear forensics laboratories confronted with cases of illicit events involving nuclear or other radioactive materials.

The illegal transport of conventional explosives and biological material has been observed in public mail and could lead to serious health hazards. In response to Member State requests to establish guidance on detecting the movement of radioactive material in international mail, the IAEA and the Universal Postal Union (UPU) undertook a joint effort to prepare this publication. It considers how radioactive materials in international mail might be detected, how best to monitor for these materials in mail facilities and how to respond appropriately. This publication provides a concise but comprehensive description of the various techniques and equipment used to detect and control radioactive material during mail processing.

States have the responsibility for combating illicit trafficking and inadvertent movements of radioactive material. A major portion of that effort is devoted to monitoring borders to detect and then confiscate any radioactive material which might be moving across borders in an illegal manner. The IAEA has responded to requests from its Member States to provide a set of technical specifications that can be used in the design testing, qualifying and purchasing of border radiation monitoring equipment. The purpose of this publication is to provide deployment specifications rather than just test specifications. The system parameters discussed here can be used as the specification for how the equipment will actually be deployed for border security applications rather than only for use during comparisons of equipment from various manufacturers.

This book has a restricted distribution and all requests for it should be made through the relevant mission or nuclear regulatory authority