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Conference Spotlight
Nuclear Energy Conference & Expo (NECX)
September 8–11, 2025
Atlanta, GA|Atlanta Marriott Marquis
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The RAIN scale: A good intention that falls short
Radiation protection specialists agree that clear communication of radiation risks remains a vexing challenge that cannot be solved solely by finding new ways to convey technical information.
Earlier this year, an article in Nuclear News described a new radiation risk communication tool, known as the Radiation Index, or, RAIN (“Let it RAIN: A new approach to radiation communication,” NN, Jan. 2025, p. 36). The authors of the article created the RAIN scale to improve radiation risk communication to the general public who are not well-versed in important aspects of radiation exposures, including radiation dose quantities, units, and values; associated health consequences; and the benefits derived from radiation exposures.
J. E. Kelly, F. L. Leverenz, Jr., N. J. McCormick, R. C. Erdmann
Nuclear Technology | Volume 32 | Number 2 | February 1977 | Pages 155-166
Technical Paper | Reactor | doi.org/10.13182/NT77-A31720
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
Because of the complexity inherent in a reactor safety analysis, sensitivity tools have been developed to determine the relative influence of the various contributors to plant risk. Three progressively more detailed indicators have been defined and used to reflect plant risks at different levels of the analysis. These techniques have been applied to the risk analysis documented in the Reactor Safety Study (WASH-1400). The general breakdown of risk contributors, evidenced via application of these techniques to the boiling water reactor and pressurized water reactor of that Study, exhibit the generic makeup of reactor risk.