Workshop discusses means to control radiation sources |21 June 2012

The three IAEA experts -- Teodros Hailu from the IAEA’s Control of Radiation Sources Unit in Vienna; Mohamed Ezz El-Din, head of the Radiation Protection Department and Professor SB Elega of Abuja University, Nigeria, are meeting with officials from the health, environment, agriculture, risk and disaster management and energy departments in a three-day workshop.

During their stay, the three experts will also be visiting health facilities, notably the radiology unit, as well as some industrial projects to assess the status of radiation sources before submitting recommendation on safety and control.

Kevin Aglae, director for Radiation Safety in the Ministry of Labour and Human Resource Development, who is coordinating the seminar, said the visit came at an opportune time, when the government is in the last stage of finalising the Seychelles Radiation Safety and Security Bill.

He noted that it has been known since a century that ionising radiation has the capacity to harm if the human body is exposed to excessive levels.

Over a slightly shorter period of time, standards of exposure have been developed and an effective control framework produced to limit exposure.

“As part of this process, there is a need to perform reliable measurements of radiation exposure to demonstrate compliance with regulatory limits, to allow optimisation of working conditions and identify any failures or breakdowns of control,” he said.

Mr Aglae said the regulations will provide for a system which shall have legal authority for conducting the regulatory process, including issuing authorisations and thereby regulating radiation, handling of radioactive waste and transport safety.

They will also provide for monitoring and assessment of radiation in workplaces in Seychelles.