The Islamabad Chamber of Commerce & Industry (ICCI) in collaboration with Pakistan Nuclear Regulatory Authority (PNRA) organized an awareness session on the detection and management of radioactive sources and material in scrap yards and steel mills. 
 

Nusrat Iqbal Warsi, Director General (Inspection & Enforcement), Pakistan Nuclear Regulatory Authority speaking at the occasion highlighted the role of his organization in controlling the harmful effects of radioactivity. He said that PNRA was mandated to ensure that workers, public and environment was protected from harmful effects of ionizing radiations. He said this mandate was achieved through promulgation of regulations, licensing/authorization, regulatory inspections & enforcements, coordination with other national authorities for control on import/export of radioactive material, inspection/awareness of steel scrap yards and advice to authorities and government on protective measures. 
 

Muzzamil Hussain and Rana Muhammad Nadeem, Senior Scientific Officers of PNRA gave detailed presentations on detection and management of radioactive sources and material and highlighted the preventive measures that were required to be taken by the local industry to control harmful effects of radiations. They said that local industries should take guarantee from suppliers for supply of only such scrap that was monitored with proper measurement equipment to be free of ionizing radiation. They said that steel industry should monitor scrap metal on arrival at facility for radiation, samples during steel melting process and final products before dispatch. They said PNRA has mobile Radiological Monitoring Laboratories at Islamabad, Multan, Karachi, Peshawar, Quetta and Khundian for radiological assessment and are always available for contact in emergency in case of any radiation accident. 
 

Speaking at the occasion, Rafat Farid, Senior Vice President, Islamabad Chamber of Commerce & Industry thanked DG (I&E), PNRA for organizing awareness session at Chamber House for the business community. He said more such awareness sessions should be conducted in concerned industries in collaboration with ICCI so that management and workforce of industries could take preventive measures for protection from harmful effects of radioactivity. He stressed that government should support the local industry in introducing the radiation monitoring instruments that would greatly help in coping with the risks associated with the radiations in steel scraps and metal products.