ISLAMABAD, Jul 26: An awareness session was organised in Islamabad to sensitize the industries about the radioactive sources in metals and materials to control the chances of any radioactive activity in industrial units in order to ensure the production of radioactive sources-free products.

The session was organised by the Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI) in collaboration with the Pakistan Nuclear Regulatory Authority (PNRA).

Director General (Licensing & Authorization) PNRA Shahid Rashid briefed the business community about the main functions of his organization and said that scrap was an important raw material for the metal industry which was usually imported from different countries, according to a press statement issued by the ICCI. He said that due to the weak regulatory controls over the sources in the exporting countries, there remained chances of the intermingling of radioactive sources within the imported scrap metals. He said if such sources remained undetected, their untended melting has the potential to cause unnecessary radiation exposure to the employees and the public, which would have serious financial, social and economic costs besides damaging the credentials of industries.

Speaking at the occasion, President ICCI Shakeel Munir appreciated the role of PNRA for regulating, controlling and supervising all matters related to nuclear safety, nuclear security and radiation protection measures in Pakistan. He said that ICCI would cooperate in identifying the industries which required radiation detection equipment. He said that ICCI would also collaborate in execution of PNRA survey strategy in different industries. He said that ICCI would work with PNRA to ensure the industries comply with regulatory requirements to prevent radioactive sources/radioactive contamination in scrap and metal products.

Safeer Hussain, Anayat Ullah and Imran Ali Khan Principal Scientific Officers, PNRA gave detailed presentations on prevention of radioactive materials in scrap and recycled products. They informed the business community about the preventive measures of radioactive contamination. Both sides discussed a range of issues to make industries and businesses free of radioactive contaminants, the press statement concluded.

Credits: INP-WealthPk