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ST 4.3 –
Gestión de residuos radiactivos
STRENGTHENING CRADLE-TO-GRAVE CONTROL OF RADIOACTIVE
SOURCES IN THE CARIBBEAN REGION
Charles, Grant
1
*; Francis, Carlton
2
; Ratan, Naveen
3
; John, Steve
4
;
Benitez, Daisy
5
; Recio, Manuel
6
; Perez Pijuan, Saul
6
;
Benitez, Juan Carlos
6
; Millan Arredondo, Alberto
6
1
University of the West Indies. Jamaica.
2
Jamaica Bureau of Standards. Jamaica.
3
North West Regional Health Authority. Trinidad y Tobago.
4
Dominica Bureau of Standards. Dominica
5
Ministerio de Salud. Costa Rica
6
IAEA. Austria
* Responsible author, email: charles.grant@uwimona.edu.jm
The Great Caribbean region is characterized by a significant maritime trade using the sea as a
highway to facilitate the movement of persons and goods among seaside countries within the
region. Associated to this traffic, occurrences have been reported at borders and inland of non-
regulated trade accidentally involving radioactive sources or contaminated materials which need
to be properly addressed upon positive detection. For years, the IAEA has been working on
strengthening the control over radioactive sources to avoid these occurrences and to protect the
public and the environment from the hazards of ionizing radiation, as well as to prevent sources
from becoming orphan. Against this background, a “cradle to grave” control of radioactive
sources is essential, as promoted by the Code of Conduct on the Safety and Security of
Radioactive Sources. This “Cradle-to-Grave” approach includes national policies and strategies,
an adequate legal and regulatory framework, as well as adequate resources and infrastructures
to ensure safe and secure management of radioactive sources. The IAEA technical cooperation
programme provides assistance to Member States to face these challenges. Building on the
experience and successes of the interregional project INT9176, titled “Strengthening Cradle-to-
Grave Control of Radioactive Sources in the Mediterranean Region”, Jamaica has proposed to
the IAEA a regional project proposal on “Strengthening Cradle-to-Grave Control of Radioactive
Sources in the Caribbean Region”. This project aims to contribute to establish and/or improve a
sustainable, safe, adequate and permanent “cradle-to-grave” control of radioactive sources
following a harmonized approach consistent with the IAEA Basic Safety Standards (BSS) and
other international best practices. If approved by the IAEA, it would start running in 2016 with a
four-year lifetime and would focus on countries within the Great Caribbean region that are new
to the TC programme or have basic needs to establish “cradle to grave” control of radioactive
sources.