The International Nuclear and Radiation Events Scale

The International Nuclear and Radiation Events Scale (INES) is a worldwide tool used to communicate the safety significance of nuclear and radiological events to the technical communities and the public.

The scale was designed by an international group of experts in 1989 and further developed by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in conjunction with the Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development’s Nuclear Energy Agency (OECD/NEA) and more than 60 Member States, including Canada.

Over time, the INES has been adapted to meet the growing needs for communicating all significant events associated with the transport, storage and use of radioactive material and radiation sources.  The current version of the INES manual was adopted on July 1,
2008.

In October 2008, the IAEA General Conference of Member States endorsed the updated INES.