The Islamabad Chamber of Commerce & Industry (ICCI) in collaboration with the Pakistan Nuclear Regulatory Authority (PNRA) organized an awareness session to sensitize the industries about the radioactive sources in metals and materials and to control the chances of any radioactive activity in industrial units in order to ensure the production of radioactive sources free products.

Shahid Rashid, Director General (Licensing & Authorization), PNRA 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. He said that due to the weak regulatory controls over the sources in the exporting countries, there remained chances of 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. He said that PNRA intended to develop close liaison with chambers of commerce including ICCI for effective implementation of regulatory requirements in relevant industries to prevent any radioactive sources in production activities. He said that industries should install radiation detection equipment to monitor scrap material and assured that PNRA will provide them free of cost technical support in selection and procurement of such equipment. He said that PNRA was ready to organize free of cost training of industrial manpower in cooperation with ICCI to ensure production of radioactive free products and commodities. He stressed that industries should develop procedures for notification to PNRA and management of radioactive sources if found through detection mechanisms.

Speaking at the occasion, Muhammad Shakeel Munir, President, Islamabad Chamber of Commerce & Industry 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 for compliance of regulatory requirements by industries 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.