The Radiation Protection Institute (RPI) of the Ghana Atomic Energy Commission (GAEC) is organizing a Radiation Protection and Safety Training Course for Radiation Protection Officers (RPOs) and some Qualified Operators/Staff of Genuine Group Logistics in Accra to ensure public and environmental radiation safety.
The core objective of the programme is to ensure that the participants understand basic radiation physics in their line of duty to forestall possible health hazards associated with ionizing radiation as well as radioactive substances.
The seven participants (second batch) who are mainly staff of Genuine Group Logistics are expected to carry out practical laboratory exercises as part of the one-week course.
The Manager of the Radiation Protection Training and Consultancy Centre of RPI, Dr. Stephen Inkoom, in a short ceremony to welcome the participants, stated that his outfit is responsible for the training of workers in various institutions such as medical, research, industry and among others whose operations cut across the use and transportation of radioactive materials.
He explained that the course is key for freight forwarders since they have a tendency of transporting radioactive substances or devices that may contain radioactive materials. “Genuine Group Logistics are Logistics services providers in Takoradi – Ghana offering a wide range of logistics support services for companies and establishments in sectors such as oil and gas, maritime, mining and construction, banking and financial services, education, health, security services amongst others. So this training is a necessity considering their activities”, he stressed.
Dr. Inkoom explained that, the programme would equip the participants on the basic principles of radiation protection and how to apply them in their work environment. “The trainees would understand the national and international requirements for the control of ionizing radiation sources and also, emergency preparedness and response to abnormal situations involving the use of radioactive material”, he added.
He was confident that GAEC would continue to train more radiation workers in Ghana and Africa in order to ensure public and environmental safety to meet the standards set by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
He finally called on the institutions to ensure that their occupationally exposed workers are well trained to handle all peaceful applications of ionizing radiation based on regulations by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the Nuclear Regulatory Authority (NRA), Ghana.
Source: www.gaecgh.org
