Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung has approved Decree 17/CT-TTg onincreased security measures to manage and control radioactive devices inthe country.
The decree, approved on July 10, pointed out manyshortcomings and limitations within the current system, which led tonumerous cases of radioactive devices and equipment going missing inrecent years.
The PM ordered the Ministry of Science andTechnology (MoST), in collaboration with Government agencies and localauthorities, to perform a comprehensive review of the country's currentregulations and security protocols on the control of radioactivedevices.
He ordered through inspections to be carried out on theuse of radioactive devices and their storage facilities across thecountry.
The MoST was charged with the task of organising andproviding training sessions on radiation safety and security. It wasalso ordered to establish a database of the country's radioactivedevices and a security system to monitor them. The ministry is to submitannual reports to the PM on the country's security and management ofradioactive devices.
Government agencies and ministries wereasked to compile a list of radioactive sources under their management,which is to be updated on a regular basis and submitted to the MoST.
ThePM also ordered the Ministry of Public Security to tighten control onthe illegal sale and application of radioactive devices, build andimprove emergency protocols in case of missing radioactive devices andstep up cooperation with international security agencies.
TheMinistry of Defence, border guards and the General Department of Customshould remain vigilant and intensify inspections and patrols to detectand prevent cross-border trafficking of radioactive devices.
Anumber of cases involving missing radioactive devices have raised thealarm about the country's lax security practices and the absence ofeffective mechanisms to control and monitor the use of radioactivedevices.
In April, 45 kilogrammes of radioactive material wentmissing from the Pomina steel mill in Ba Ria-Vung Tau province. Despitedays of extensive search efforts, it was never recovered.
InSeptember last year, the HCM City Apave Asia-Pacific Company reportedthat it had lost track of a radioactive device, which was laterrecovered after a four-day search.
A report in April from localScience and Technology Departments showed that there are approximately1,920 radioactive sources across 170 facilities in Hanoi and 1,200 inHCM City.-VNA
The decree, approved on July 10, pointed out manyshortcomings and limitations within the current system, which led tonumerous cases of radioactive devices and equipment going missing inrecent years.
The PM ordered the Ministry of Science andTechnology (MoST), in collaboration with Government agencies and localauthorities, to perform a comprehensive review of the country's currentregulations and security protocols on the control of radioactivedevices.
He ordered through inspections to be carried out on theuse of radioactive devices and their storage facilities across thecountry.
The MoST was charged with the task of organising andproviding training sessions on radiation safety and security. It wasalso ordered to establish a database of the country's radioactivedevices and a security system to monitor them. The ministry is to submitannual reports to the PM on the country's security and management ofradioactive devices.
Government agencies and ministries wereasked to compile a list of radioactive sources under their management,which is to be updated on a regular basis and submitted to the MoST.
ThePM also ordered the Ministry of Public Security to tighten control onthe illegal sale and application of radioactive devices, build andimprove emergency protocols in case of missing radioactive devices andstep up cooperation with international security agencies.
TheMinistry of Defence, border guards and the General Department of Customshould remain vigilant and intensify inspections and patrols to detectand prevent cross-border trafficking of radioactive devices.
Anumber of cases involving missing radioactive devices have raised thealarm about the country's lax security practices and the absence ofeffective mechanisms to control and monitor the use of radioactivedevices.
In April, 45 kilogrammes of radioactive material wentmissing from the Pomina steel mill in Ba Ria-Vung Tau province. Despitedays of extensive search efforts, it was never recovered.
InSeptember last year, the HCM City Apave Asia-Pacific Company reportedthat it had lost track of a radioactive device, which was laterrecovered after a four-day search.
A report in April from localScience and Technology Departments showed that there are approximately1,920 radioactive sources across 170 facilities in Hanoi and 1,200 inHCM City.-VNA
