INES (International Nuclear and Radiological Event Scale) is the assessment scale used by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in Vienna. Member States which have signed up to the international contracts are obliged to report nuclear power plant incidents or reportable events (accidents) of INES level 2 or more to the IAEA.

This scale is used to provide comprehensible information to the general public

• The significance of a reportable event with special regard to the safety of the plant and
• Whether or not it had any radiological impact on the public or the environment.

Current INES reports are published on the website of the IAEA.

Eight levels

The International Nuclear Event Scale comprises 8 levels:

• Levels 1 through 7 for events with high safety-related significance and
• Level 0 for events with low or without safety-related significance.