Source Security Program in the Philippines: A Lost Source Search Experience

摘要

The Philippine Nuclear Research Institute (PNRI), the national agency in the licensing & regulationsof radioactive materials in the country, is strengthening its capabilities in the security of radioactive sources. Partof this program is the PNRI’s participation in the Regional Security of Radioactive Sources (RSRS) Project of theAustralian Nuclear Science & Technology Organization (ANSTO). The project has provided equipment &methods training, assistance in the development of PNRI’s own training program and support for actual orphansource search activities. On May 2007, a source search for the two lost Cs-137 level gauges of a steelmanufacturing company was conducted by the PNRI and ANSTO. The source search are the a) development ofinstrument and source search training for the team, the National Training Workshop on Orphan Source Searcheswhich was organized and conducted as a result of train-the-trainors fellowship under the RSRS project and b)planning and implementation of the lost source search activity. The conduct of the actual search on warehouses,product yard, canals, dust storage, steel making building, scrap yards and nearby junkshops of the steel plant tookone week. The week-long search did not find the lost sources. However, naturally occurring radioactive materialsidentified to be Thorium, were found on sands, bricks and sack piles that are stored and/or generally present in thewarehouses, yard and steel making building. The search activity had therefore cleared the facility of the lost sourceand its corresponding hazards. The NORM found present in the plant’s premises on the other hand brought theattention of the management of the needed measures to ensure safety of the staff from possible hazards of thesematerials. Currently, the course syllabus that was developed is continuously enhanced to accommodate thetraining needs of the PNRI staff particularly for the emergency response and preparedness. This component of thesource security program is thus geared to sustain the capabilities of the Institute by developing the skills of itspersonnel and its readiness in the future.