Global Partners, Regional Stakeholders and IAEA Experts Promote Greater Radiation Safety in the Caribbean

During the meeting, held from 17 to 21 February, the participants explored, discussed and finalized a detailed action plan to address persisting gaps in regulatory infrastructures, to strengthen the control of radioactive sources, to improve operational safety conditions at the end-user level and to elaborate emergency preparedness and response plans for radiation emergencies in the Caribbean region.

The 15 attending counterparts and partner institution representatives deliberated on the role of radiation protection programmes, workplace monitoring and safety assessments at the operator level and subsequently planned specific actions to help ensure the protection of workers, patients, the public and the environment.

Representatives of the Permanent Missions of the United States, the Netherlands, Canada and the United Kingdom underscored their commitment to continued collaboration with the IAEA in the area of national regulatory infrastructure in the Caribbean. The five-day meeting was also attended by partners and counterparts from the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), the US Department of Energy Office of Radiological Security (ORS) and the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA).

The two previous projects, both launched in 2016, sought to simultaneously work towards a harmonized, heightened level of safety in the Caribbean. The first project[2] prioritized the delivery of support to help countries in the region ensure that radioactive sources are sustainably controlled and managed throughout their lifecycle. Under the second project[3], the IAEA provided basic radiation detection equipment, organized training for the staff of designated regulatory authorities and supported the development of legal frameworks and guidelines, all of which have helped CARICOM countries achieve a baseline level of regulatory oversight.

[1] RLA9087, ‘Building Capacity and Sustaining the National Regulatory Bodies’ 

[2] RLA9081, ‘Strengthening Cradle-to-Grave Control of Radioactive Sources’

[3] RLA9082, ‘Establishing and Strengthening Sustainable National Regulatory Infrastructures for the Control of Radiation Sources’