McMaster University will be holding practice drills in case of radiological incidents set up around the Nuclear Research Building Wednesday.
The exercise is in collaboration with city emergency services and will simulate an accident scenario at the on-campus nuclear reactor.
The university says that emergency response vehicles and personnel will be on campus starting at 7 a.m. ahead of when the exercise begins at 8:30 a.m. running until 1:30 p.m.
The school says the test will have no impact on the community.
According to the school, the exercise is meant to drill staff from Health Physics and Nuclear Operations & Facilities, the university’s crisis management team, the school’s security services in tandem with Hamilton’s emergency services.
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“The MNR emergency plan has never been implemented in response to an actual emergency,” reads the official post on the university’s website.
Director of Health Physics Josip Zic says in the post that “such an incident is highly unlikely to occur” but points out how important it is for the university and emergency services to be aware of proper procedures during an emergency.
“McMaster has a long tradition of excellence in nuclear safety,” the director says.
The Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission granted the reactor a 20-year operating license renewal in June. The reactor has been in operation since 1959.
The area around the research building and reactor will be fenced off and access to the area will be limited.
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