Risk communication system: Case studies of Fukushima accident

Recognizing the important role of risk communication in handling accidents, the author was committed to study risk communication in a nuclear accident in a systematic perspective. Through reviewing risk communication literature, and considering the specific background of nuclear industry, the author identified several major categories of key audience/players in the communication progress. The author established a crisis communication assessment chart to identify the features of the communicator groups which were demonstrated in each crisis life cycle. The paper performed a case study research on the latest happened Fukushima accident. Major features of various communicators and the interaction of the players were carefully analyzed by presenting a risk communication system chart. The paper also proposed suggestions for operators how to apply communication as a tool to manage nuclear accidents.