Regional training on protection of nuclear materials opens
Accra, Aug. 10, GNA - The International Atomic Energy Agency
(IAEA), in collaboration with the Ghana Atomic Energy Commission
(GAEC), on Monday began a five-day regional training workshop on the
foundations of physical protection of nuclear material and facilities.
The training is intended to improve the knowledge base of participants
as far as physical protection of nuclear material and facilities are
concerned and effectively train them in the customization of the
state-of-the-art technology.
Lt. Col. Larry Gbevlo-Lartey (Rtd), National Security Coordinator, in
a speech read for him, underscored the importance of nuclear education
saying in order to prevent the ultimate catastrophe, states and international
organizations needed to work together to make nuclear and radioactive
materials more secure and to detect and respond in a timely and
professional manner to acts involving sabotage and theft of nuclear
materials.
He commended the IAEA for its support to African member states,
particularly Ghana, through the GAEC, in the area of technical assistance
programmes.
Lt. Col Gbevlo-Lartey said the training would also help combat
malicious acts involving nuclear and radioactive materials.
He said as a pre-requisite to the effective and safe utilization of the
development of nuclear techniques and practices, both member and
non-member states were required to establish the necessary protection
and safe infrastructure to regulate activities that could involve radiation
exposure and interventions.
He expressed the hope that the training would enlighten participants on
the dynamic trends of physical protection systems to the merit of
socio-economic development of member states, particularly for Ghana
and the continent as a whole, as far as the development and application of
nuclear energy was concerned.
Prof. Yaw Serfor Armah, Deputy Director-General, GAEC, said the
Commission was privileged to host the training course and urged
participants to pick up the technical skills for reinforcement and review of
the design and evaluation processes of the physical protection system in
their countries and hence Africa.
He explained that the course was designed to provide the basic
understanding of physical protection as well as to demonstrate a
systematic methodology to design and evaluate physical protection
systems for nuclear facilities.
It would also assist relevant authorities in developing and implementing
the physical protection principles and equipments with reference to
system engineering, facility analysis and coordination between the
authorities in charge of nuclear security facilities.
GNA