International Conference on Occupational Radiation Protection: Strengthening Radiation Protection of Workers – Twenty Years of Progress and the Way Forward

Development of Radiation Safety Culture in Ghana: Impacts on the Health of Occupational Radiation Workers and Quality Services

Not scheduled

1h 30m

Geneva

Poster 17. Safety culture in occupational radiation protection Session 12. Safety culture in occupational radiation protection

Speaker

Dr Abdallah Munir Abdallah Dawood (Radiation Protection Institute)

Description

The Radiation Protection Institute (RPI) of the Ghana Atomic Energy Commission (GAEC), among other objectives provides radiation protection and safety training and consultancy on radiation exposure control; safety and security of radiation sources and effective radioactive waste management services. The Institute further conducts on-site radiation safety assessment for sectors of the economy where radiation sources are applied i.e. health, agriculture, industry etc. When radiation sources get damaged and/or fail to function optimally, they are retrieved from their end-users and transported to the Centralized Radioactive Waste Management Centre for proper management. In the health sector, radiation sources are used for X-ray imaging and diagnosing and treatment of cancer. In construction, mining and oil rigging, they are used for level gauging and moisture content determination. In all these applications, the workers and to a less extent members of the general public are exposed to some amount of ionizing radiation that may be detrimental to their health. To achieve the fundamental principle of protecting people and the environment from the harmful effects of ionizing radiation, there is the need to establish radiation safety culture at every centre where radiation sources are applied. The RPI of Ghana through its quality management system (QMS) which comprises radiation protection training modules as well as safety and security mechanisms is helping to achieve this purpose. The QMS provides standard operating procedures for major facilities; safety principles and practical measures for radiation safety. It is also designed to achieve quality technical services, and protection of the health of the radiation worker. The QMS recommends routine (monthly) environmental radiation monitoring and (bi-annual) safety assessment operations as means of achieving radiation safety in and around the immediate environment of the facilities, and protection of the general public from inadvertent exposure.

Presentation materials

ORP 2022_Poster_Dawood_023.pdf