May 12: An incident of radioactive contamination was detected at a laboratory in the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (Barc) in Trombay on Wednesday. However, nobody was injured in the incident.
According to the Barc, the incident involved minor contamination of the hands of a person, who was involved in the transfer of samples in a sealed container from one laboratory to another laboratory for analysis.
A statement issued by the Barc said, “The matter was promptly detected by experts and the person who carried the sample to the laboratory were adequately decontaminated and cleared for normal work.”
R.K. Sharma, head of media relations and public awareness at the Barc, maintained that there was no spillage of the sample and the contamination has been traced to the sample container.
Two more personnel who were in the vicinity were also tested and they were found to be free of any contamination.
Doctors checked the persons and stated that they are safe and have allowed them to go home. The incident described as “professional contamination incident” is of very minor nature with no safety consequences.
To recall, two scientists died in a fire that broke out in Bhabha Atomic Research Centre in December in 2009.
Late last month, a man died from radiation poisoning in New Delhi after the Cobalt-60, a radioactive metal used for radiotherapy in hospitals, ended up in a scrap yard.
After the incident, a high-level committee has been set up to examine the issue of “handling of radioactive material.”
With officials from the department of atomic energy, department of science and technology and human resource development ministry on the committee, a thorough re-examination and assessment of current rules and regulations on the handling of radioactive material and the access to such material would be conducted, sources said.