During two days, March 27 and 28, 2010, the Ba ria – Vung tau Department of Science and Technology presiding over and cooperating with Institute for Nuclear Science and Technique and Vietnam Agency for Radiation and Nuclear Safety organize exercises on emergency preparedness and response plans for radiation accidents in Vung tau City.

During two days, March 27 and 28, 2010, the Ba ria – Vung tau Department of Science and Technology presiding over and cooperating with Institute for Nuclear Science and Technique and Vietnam Agency for Radiation and Nuclear Safety organize exercises on emergency preparedness and response plans for radiation accidents in Vung tau City.

It is the first time to organize exercises on emergency preparedness and response plans for radiation accidents at provincial scale. It aims at helping and training organizations, responsible people and radiation licensees to know and practise the specific emergency procedures for preparing for and responding to radiation accidents if happening in the province; to act actively and mobilize timely all professional forces, technical means to perform practical response measures to minimize radiation risks/damages caused to public health and the environment.

Two scenarios for emergency preparedness and response plans for radiation accidents exercised:

The first scenario: a radioactive source of Ir-192 used in industrial radiography would become disconnected from the drive cable and be not properly returned to its shielded container. Subsequently the guide tube would be disconnected from the exposure device and the source eventually dropped to the ground where site radiography is carried out.

The second scenario: a radioactive source would be found in a pile of wasted material at a shop purchasing scrap iron;

For the former radiation licensees would be responsible for dealing with and doing follow-up activities if a radiation accident happened. For the latter it would be necessary for all levels of government authorities in Ba ria – Vung tau to coordinate together in directing and instructing radiation rescues teems mobilized from potential radiation licensees to solve such an accident.

Precinct 3 of Alpha NDT service, Dong xuyen Industry Zone is a place to be chosen to do exercise on the first scenario.

The shop purchasing scrap iron, 520B, Binh gia street, Nguyen An Ninh ward chosen to do exercise on the second scenario.

Participating in the exercises consists of the following representatives: the Ba ria – Vung tau Public Security Department (economic policemen, environmental policemen, local policemen), the People Committee of Nguyen An Ninh ward, Departments of Science and Technology from neighbour provinces (Ho Chi Minh City, Dong nai and Binh duong Povince) as well as radiation protection officers and staff from licensees using a large numbers of radioactive sources in Ba ria – Vung tau province, such as Vietsovpetro Join Venture company (Drilling-well Geophysics Enterprise and Oil and Gas Production Works Construction, Survey and Repair Enterprise), Schlumberger Vietnam Services, Baker Huges Vietnam Co. Ltd, QIS NDT Services Co. Ltd, Alpha NDT Services.

The exercises are done successfully by cooperation with all participating forces and happen as scenarios arranged.

At the end of each exercise discussion has been made. Everyone could freely give their own opinion/idea to contribute to finding out lessons learned as well as to finalizing the scenario. Furthermore, participants also suggest the Ba ria – Vung tau Department of Science and Technology should organize annually exercises with arranged scenarios more diversified and complicated.

Ba ria – Vung tau province is one of areas of the country that there have been a largest number of radioactive sources being used and there was a dropped radioactive source accident occurred in here in 2007. Hence it is essential to organize such exercises.