TY - JOUR PY - 2024// TI - Awareness of disaster preparedness between administrative staff and residents in the vicinity of the Genkai and Ikata nuclear power plants following the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant disaster JO - Journal of radiological protection A1 - Yamamoto, Chika A1 - Sawano, Toyoaki A1 - Eguchi, Yuichiro A1 - Fukazawa, Shinya A1 - Zhao, Tianchen A1 - Ochi, Genro A1 - Tsubokura, Masaharu SP - ePub EP - ePub VL - ePub IS - ePub N2 - When considering disaster preparedness, one challenge is mitigating the health impacts of evacuations. Nuclear disaster preparedness has evolved based on past experiences from numerous disasters, including the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant (FDNPP) accident. However, there is a lack of comprehensive reporting on the awareness of administrative staff, medical personnel, and residents in the areas surrounding nuclear power plants (NPPs). This study reports on a survey aimed at gaining insights into the understanding and current state of disaster preparedness and elucidating the differences in perceptions of nuclear disaster preparedness among the relevant stakeholders surrounding NPPs. Interview surveys were conducted from 14 to 16 September 2022 in the area surrounding Kyushu Electric Power's Genkai NPP in Saga Prefecture and from 11 to 13 January 2023 in the area around Shikoku Electric Power's Ikata NPP. The surveys targeted administrative, medical, and nursing care facilities and residents. Responses from 57 participants indicated a lack of awareness of natural and nuclear disasters, challenges in evacuation planning, and a gap between nuclear disaster training and residents' understanding of evacuation protocols. This study highlights inadequacies in nuclear disaster preparedness and the need for a better understanding among residents regarding evacuation procedures. This study identified three key issues: (1) a lack of awareness about disasters, including nuclear disasters; (2) concerns about complex disasters and the difficulties in creating evacuation plans; and (3) a discrepancy between nuclear disaster training and residents' understanding of evacuation procedures. To bridge this gap, it is important to deepen residents' understanding of nuclear disasters, continuously convey the lessons learned from the FDNPP accident, and regularly reassess and update nuclear disaster preparedness strategies.

Language: en

LA - en SN - 0952-4746 UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.1088/1361-6498/ad4904 ID - ref1 ER -