Improvement of buried radioactive source situation at a hospital in Cambodia

This paper describes the successful outcome and completion of improvement works at the buried radioactive source site at a hospital in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, by the ANSTO Regional Security of Radioactive Sources (RSRS) Project. We describe the background of the situation and the efforts made since 2005 by the RSRS Project in collaboration with international partners, the New Zealand National Radiation Laboratory (NRL), as part of the New Zealand contribution to the Global Initiative to Combat Global Terrorism (GICNT), and the United States National Nuclear Security Administration represented by the Pacific North West National Laboratory (PNNL) who provided security upgrades as part of the Global Threat Reduction Initiative (GIRD. We describe the objectives related to characterising the buried source and improving the site's safety, security and area amenity. The potential options available to meet these objectives, justification for the strategy chosen, and the preparation and conduct of the works involved are discussed. Shielding calculations, dose rate criteria, and occupational health and safety considerations from a radiation protection and construction perspective are presented.