INES Levels
INES N/A
INES 0
INES 1
INES 2
INES 3
INES 4
INES 5
INES 6
INES 7

INES 3: Serious incident

Impact on People and Environment:
  • Exposure in excess of ten times the statutory annual limit for workers.
  • Non-lethal deterministic health effect (e.g., burns) from radiation.
Impact on Radiological Barriers and Control:
  • Exposure rates of more than 1 Sv/h in an operating area.
  • Severe contamination in an area not expected by design, with a low probability of ­significant public exposure.
Impact on Defence-in-Depth:
  • Near accident at a nuclear power plant with no safety provisions remaining.
  • Lost or stolen highly radioactive sealed source.
  • Misdelivered highly radioactive sealed source without adequate procedures in place to handle it.
Legenda & explanation
date title location 
2022-02-08Damaged radiation source out of regulatory controlPolandDąbrowa Górnicza/Mirków
2021-05-29Worker exposure to X-ray generatorJapanSetouchi Works of Nippon Steel Corp., Hyogo Pref.
2018-12-18Overexposure of two workersIranIslamic Republic of Iran, KHORASANE RAZAVI province
2017-08-22Exposure to Hands of Quality Control AnalystAustraliaAustralian Nuclear Science & Technology Org
2015-09-23Overexposure of two industrial radiographersIranIslamic Republic of Iran, Oil refinery Company
2015-08-27Radiographer OverexposureArgentinaRio Turbio, Santa Cruz
2014-07-15Overexposure of a service technician repairing a biplane X-ray systemSwitzerlandHospital
2014-02-28Overexposure of radiation workersAustraliaQueensland field site west of Chinchilla
2014-02-14Exposure to workersPeruVentanilla, Callao / SPI GAMMA
2013-12-02Missing Dangerous Source at Tepojaco, Hidalgo, MexicoMexicoTepojaco, Hidalgo, Mexico
2013-09-14Overxposure of an industrial radiographerGermanyRefinery, Lingen
2013-09-14Overxposure of an industrial radiographerGermanyRefinery, Lingen
2013-08-19Contaminated water leakage from a water tankJapanFUKUSHIMA DAIICHI
2012-10-18Overexposure of WorkersPakistanWajedo International, Karachi
2012-01-12Accident in industrial radiographyPeruChilca, Lima
2011-09-12Overexposure to a Radiographer Trainee's ExtremitiesUnited States of AmericaLavaca, Texas
2011-03-11Effect to the Nuclear Facilities from the earthquake on east area of JapanJapanFUKUSHIMA-DAIICI-1,2 FUKUSHIMA-DAINI-1, Japan
2011-03-11Loss of cooling function and water supplying function on the spent fuel pool due to the big tsunami.JapanFUKUSHIMA-DAIICHI-4
2011-03-11Loss of the cooling function to the ultimate heat sink due to the big tsunamiJapanFUKUSHIMA-DAINI-4
2011-03-11Loss of the cooling function to the ultimate heat sink due to the big tsunamiJapanFUKUSHIMA-DAINI-2
2011-03-11Loss of the cooling function to the ultimate heat sink due to the big tsunamiJapanFUKUSHIMA-DAINI-1
2009-07-27Overexposure in the field radiographyPolandROil refinery, Gdansk
2009-03-03Overexposure of a field radiography workerSouth KoreaArgus, Jinju, South Korea
2008-08-25Iodine-131 release in the environmentBelgiumIRE-Fleurus
2008-08-01Overexposure of a workerSpainTarragona
2008-07-21Potential Overexposure During Co-60 Source ExchangeBrazilHospital
2008-03-12Worker over exposureFranceToulouse
2007-10-22Potential Radiographer OverexposuresSpainSGS TECNOS,S.A.
2005-04-20Fractured Pipe in Thorp Reprocessing plantUnited KingdomBNFL, Sellafield
2004-04-21Potential Personnel Overexposure at Irradiator FacilityUnited States of AmericaAibonito