Brazilian Seminar "Safety and Security: Harmonization and Action": a tool for Human Resource Development

An international concern about radioactive sources after the September 11, 2001 event has led to a strengthening of security. There is evidence that the illicit use of radioactive sources, such as, "radiological terrorism" is a real possibility and may result in harmful radiological consequences for the public and the environment. There are in Brazil about 1800 medical, industrial and research installations with radioactive sources and 400 are IAEA Category 1 and 2. Industrial gamma irradiators and industrial radiography occupy a prominent position due to very high radioactive sources activities. Safety conditions are well established in these facilities, due to the intense work of regulatory authority in the Country. But security conditions, according to the basic concepts of Deterrence, Detection, Delay and Response are not yet fully established and incorporated in medical and industrial installations. The main cause observed was the workers' lack of knowledge on safety concepts that must be established at the facility. With the objective to contribute to human resource development, the IRD Postgraduate Courses prepared One Day Seminar on "Safety and Security: Harmonization and Action", in August 10, 2017. This Seminar aimed to present the main concepts related to security applied in radioactive sources and installations, to discuss the applicability of these concepts in the industrial and medical areas and to propose actions to harmonize the workers' performance in relation to safety and security. The Seminar was intended for the following participants: undergraduate and postgraduate students in nuclear and radiation protection areas; radiation protection officers; industry and medical radiation workers; security workers and general workers.