Ministry Of Environment Takes Adequate Measures For Radiation Protection

(MENAFN- The Peninsula) Sanaullah Ataullah | The Peninsula

Doha: The Ministry of Environment and Climate Change (MoECC) has taken adequate measures for radiation protection. Installing advanced devices to detect the radiation level and providing training to custom officials are among major steps recently taken by the Ministry for radiation protection.

Radiation protection, also known as radiological protection, is defined by the International Atomic energy Agency (IAEA) as“the protection of people from harmful effects of exposure to ionizing radiation, and the means for achieving this”.

“Qatar has made tremendous efforts to ensure the safety of foods from radiation or any other contamination,” said Inspection and Radiation Safety Officer at the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Miftah Al Dosari.

Speaking to Qatar TV recently, he said that there is strict monitoring at custom check posts which are equipped with inspection devices and trained officials.

Al Dosari said that three radiation protection principles of justification, optimization and dose limitation are enshrined in the IAEA Fundamental Safety Principles.“Doses of radiation that people are subjected to during justified activities must not exceed certain limit values (dose limitation),” said Al Dosari.

He said that the general people are required to keep distance from radiation places such as x-ray room at hospital unless they are needed for it.

“We need to differentiate between radioactive materials and radioactive sources. Radioactive sources are man-made. They were made or their work activities are in reactors. They are used in several sectors including industrial, medical, and research fields. Ultraviolet radiations are danger,” said Al Dosari.

He said that radiations in all forms solid, liquid, or gaseous are available in Qatar, but within regulation and control.

The MoECC recently organised a training course on the basics of radiation and methods of radiation detection and screening at the Customs Training Center for employees of the General Authority of Custom.

Al Dosari said that the workshop aimed at increasing the skills of inspectors deployed at border check-posts for inspecting the radioactive materials and x-ray machines in the consignments.

This comes within the framework of the MoECC's efforts to enhance and increase the efficiency of regulatory work across border crossings, and within the national projects and comprehensive training plans that qualify individuals who play their role in monitoring the import and export of radioactive materials and devices for industrial and medical use and in the field of scientific research.

The Ministry has increased the rates of regulatory work on facilities that use radioactive materials, by importing a number of technologically advanced radiation detection devices to ensure that they remain within safe limits, in accordance with the framework of cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency.

This cooperation comes as one of the joint programmes, within the reference framework for planning technical cooperation between the State of Qatar and the International Agency, which was signed in 2022 and will continue until 2027.

The framework also includes a number of other aspects, including: training programmes, exchange of expertise, enhancing technical capabilities, and calibrating radiation detection and monitoring devices and supplies.

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