The Radiological Accident In Soreq

On 21 June 1990 a fatal radiological accident occurred at an industrial irradiation facility at Soreq, Israel. An operator entered the irradiation room by circumventing safety systems and was acutely exposed, with an estimated whole body dose of 10-20 Gy. The accident, like earlier accidents at similar irradiators, was the consequence of the contravention of operating procedures. An IAEA review team investigated the causes of the accident. This report presents its findings and recommendations and describes the clinical management of the patient, particularly of the haematological phase. The medical treatment included the use of emerging therapies with haematopoietic growth factor drugs which may rescue the overexposed patient, albeit in this case only temporarily. The report is intended for regulatory authorities responsible for the regulation and inspection of irradiators, operating organizations and physicians who may need to treat overexposed patients.

Under the Convention on Assistance in the Case of a Nuclear or Radiological Emergency, the Peruvian authorities requested assistance from the IAEA in relation to the radiological accident that occurred during non-destructive testing using a nuclear radioactive source in the district of Chilca, Peru, in 2012. This assistance related to dose assessment and medical management of those involved in the accident was provided during 2012 and 2013. The report gives a detailed account and analysis of the event, as well as, the actions taken in order to assist organizations responsible for radiation protection, source safety and emergency preparedness and response in identifying lessons to be learned that may help to prevent similar accidents.

A serious radiological accident occurred in Istanbul, Turkey, in December 1998 and January 1999 when two packages used to transport 60Co teletherapy sources were sold as scrap metal. This report gives an account of the circumstances which led to the accident and the medical aspects, and the lessons learned.

The radiological accident described in this report took place in Lilo, Georgia, when sealed radiation sources were abandoned by a previous owner at a site without following established regulatory safety procedures. As a consequence, 11 individuals at the site were exposed for a long period of time to high doses of radiation which resulted inter alia in severe radiation induced skin injuries. The present report, which is co-sponsored by the World Health Organization, provides information on the medical management of radiation induced skin injuries as well as a comprehensive report on the circumstances and details of the accident and the lessons to be learned.

On 17 November 1992 a radiological accident occurred at an electron accelerator facility in Hanoi, Viet Nam. An individual entered the irradiation room without the operators' knowledge and unwittingly exposed his hands to the X ray beam. His hands were seriously injured and one hand had to be amputated. The report details the circumstances of the accident, its medical consequences and the governmental response.

In October 1994 three members of the public entered the radioactive waste repository at Tammiku, Estonia, without authorization and removed a metal container enclosing a radiation source, which one of them placed in his pocket. This action resulted in the death of one person and injury to a number of others. The purpose of this report is to provide information so that similar accidents can be avoided in the future.

This text from the British Institute of Radiology provides an international standard for the evaluation of radiation-induced health impairments, which should make a useful contribution to the harmonization and standardization of the Medical Management of Radiation Accidents.