AbstractThe paper presents an evaluation of the risk associated with the principal accident sequences concerning the in-vessel plant area of an ITER-type machine. That plant area includes the first wall, the divertor, the blanket, the torus vessel systems, and the related primary cooling loops; the exhaust system is also considered because of its contribution to the primary vacuum barrier. Reference is made to the normal running operations during the physics phase. Each scenario is quantified in terms of annual expected frequency and dose to the maximum exposed individual. Occurrence rates are based on the existing ITER systems design and on the most recent reliability data bases. The radioactivity inventories of all the systems involved are taken into account. Retention factors for the confinement barriers are used in order to evaluate the environmental source terms. The results are compared with safety design targets assumed for ITER.