Lessons Learned from the Radiological Accident In Mayapuri, New Delhi

In the past, there were several reported incidents and accidents throughout the world due to inadvertent radiation exposure causing serious radiation injuries to members of the public due to the presence of radioactive sources in the public domain and scrap yards. In April 2010, for the first time in India, a radiation accident occurred due to the dismantling of a gamma cell, housing ⁶⁰Co radioactive source pencils, by the workers in a scrap shop located in the Mayapuri area of New Delhi. This resulted in high radiation exposures to seven people, of whom one succumbed to radiation sickness. Officers from the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB) and personnel from national emergency response agencies were involved at various stages of source recovery operations. It was revealed that the accident due to a ‘legacy’ source originated from a university. Several actions have been initiated by the AERB to prevent such accidents in future and lessons learned by stakeholders. (author)