On October 18, 2012, three workers were overexposed during industrial radiography at Phool Nagar near Lahore. The event took place due to detachment of Ir-192 source (67 Ci) which remained stuck in the Guide Tube. The workers could not notice this and loaded the Gamma Projector and Guide Tube in the vehicle and traveled for almost 30 minutes from work site to office while placing the Guide Tube very close to the leg of one worker (‘worker A’ sitting on rear seat of the vehicle). After reaching the office, ‘worker A’ unloaded the Gamma Projector to place it in storage pit. ‘Worker B’ performed radiation survey and found that the source was still in the Guide Tube. ‘Worker B’ and ‘worker C’ (‘worker C’ was not a designated radiation worker) conducted the recovery operation and brought the source to shielded position.
‘Worker A’ reported headache and vomiting within 24 hours and severe burns appeared on his left leg in about 15 days which later developed into open wounds. ‘Worker A’ is currently under medical treatment.
The event came into the knowledge of Pakistan Nuclear Regulatory Authority (PNRA) by the end of November 2012. The matter was investigated and investigations found certain violations of regulatory requirements and certain steps of safety procedures. PNRA has served work stoppage notice to the company and further actions are under way.
Calculations were made to assess the dose received by the workers. The whole body dose to the ‘worker A’ sitting near to the source in the vehicle is estimated to be 2.02 Sv and for the other two workers sitting at front seats of the vehicle is 0.81 Sv each.
The Pacific News Bulletin (since September 1986) and its predecessor Pacific Bulletin was published for the Nuclear Free and Independent Pacific (NFIP) Movement by the Pacific Concerns Resource Centre (PCRC), first based in Petersham (Australia) and later at Suva on the Fiji Islands. The NFIP movement grew out of the first regional Nuclear Free Pacific […]
On 29 June 2026, the Urenco Group issued a statement announcing that the UK Government formally requested the company to support its effort "to re-establish a nuclear fuel cycle for reactor fuel for defence purposes." The UK Government announced its intent to re-establish this program in November 2024. This announcement is part of a broader […]
The Netherlands has agreed to allow Urenco to be used for the British military nuclear program. This clears the way for uranium enriched by Urenco to be used in nuclear weapons. With his decision, Foreign Minister Berendsen (CDA Christen Democrats) is departing from the principle that civilian and military nuclear applications must remain strictly separate. […]
Behnam Raeesian is an internationally recognized visual artist and poster designer from Iran, known for bold political and cultural works. Through exhibitions, workshops, jury roles, and collaborations with cultural institutions worldwide, he has built a strong voice in contemporary political graphic design. His projects confront complex issues such as nuclear risk and technological impact, transforming […]
Everywhere you look, the nuclear industry’s hype machine is in overdrive. Goldman Sachs, Microsoft, and the UK government all tout small modular reactors as the silver bullet for climate change and energy security. Tech billionaires are hiring nuclear veterans. Wall Street is whispering about “round-the-clock power” for artificial intelligence data centers. For those old enough […]