FAISALABAD: Pakistan Nuclear Regulatory Authority (PNRA) held a training workshop for officials of Model Customs Collectorate, Faisalabad in order to educate them about searching of orphan radioactive sources and streamline their workflow.
The session was organised at Faisalabad Dry Port Trust where two PNRA scientists Muhammad Akhtar and Muhammad Shujah addressed the participants. Deputy Collector Pirzada Muhammad Omar Qasmi, Superintendent Javed Hussaini Sherazi, Muhammad Javed, Syed Zahid Raza Bukhar and other inspectors attended the session.
The main ambition of this training was to introduce the customs official about radiations and solutions to overcome the uncertain situation, as effective border control measures help detect illicit trafficking. The scientists briefed the participants on primary and secondary ionising radiations. Manmade machineries like X-Rays machine was an example of primary ionising radiations while Gama Rays are example of secondary ionising radiations.
The speakers also informed that an authority named Incident and Trafficking Database (ITDB) was established in 1995. The ITDB is an information system on incidents of illicit trafficking and other unauthorized activities and events involving nuclear and other radioactive material outside of regulatory control.
At the end of the training session, the PNRA scientists along with Deputy Collector Pirzada Omar Qasmi and all the officers visited area specific for consignments and guide them about checking procedure with the help of radiation detectors.
