Our role in emergency preparedness

The overarching aim of our emergency preparedness mission is to protect you – the public – from the harmful effects of radiation, both now and in the future.

Responsibilities and roles in emergency preparedness

The Swedish Government is responsible for setting priorities and guiding the overall crisis preparedness system. Operational responsibilities are divided across four levels:

• National level: Selected preparedness authorities are responsible for handling crises within their specific areas.
• Higher regional level: Six civil regions, with an administrative board responsible for each area, and Sweden’s healthcare regions coordinate efforts across sectors and actors.
• Regional level: County administrative boards coordinate efforts within their respective counties.
• Local level: Municipalities are responsible for managing crises that affect the local population and infrastructure.

The Swedish Radiation Safety Authority is an driving force in radiation preparedness and provides radiation protection advice at all levels.

Our tasks include:

• Monitoring and measuring radioactivity
• Calculating dispersion of radioactive substances
• Advising on radiation protection
• Supporting the Government and other authorities with expert assessments and data to guide protective actions on the ground

We guide – others take action

Our mission is to provide national support – before, during and after a radiological emergency – to the Government and to other authorities, such as county administrative boards. We also support healthcare regions and local municipalities.

We offer expert knowledge and deliver assessments and data in the field of radiation protection. This includes technical advice, dispersion forecasts, radiation protection evaluations and guidance on protective measures and monitoring. We conduct measurements, sampling and field analyses, and we maintain systems for continuous monitoring of radiation levels across Sweden.

In most cases, municipalities are responsible for emergency response. If a nuclear facility is involved, responsibility shifts to the regional level, coordinated by the relevant county administrative board. The county administrative board responsible for the response carries out protective actions and is responsible for public information.

Responsibility during an emergency crisis rests with the same actor who holds it under normal conditions. This means that, during a radiological emergency, we may need to support many different actors depending on their area of responsibility.

Our goal is to ensure that Swedish society remains as radiologically safe as possible – even under disrupted conditions.