Twenty seven professionals and technicians responsible for the safe management of radioactive waste--representing 17 different Latin America countries--gathered in Chile from the 23 to 27 March. They participated in a regional workshop for the establishment of a reference system for the safe management of disused sealed radioactive sources (DSRS).

The participants learnt about the latest IAEA program for the management of disused sources. Through practical exercises and lectures, they enhanced their knowledge on the technological options for the management of DSRS such as dismantling and decommissioning of devices, source characterization, conditioning, transportation and storage; disposal of DSRS into boreholes; record keeping of all operations and strategies to regain control over orphan sources. The participants also received advice on the development of a national strategy for the safe management of disused radioactive sources in their countries.

As an outcome of the workshop, the opportunities for improvement in the management of radioactive sources in each of the participating countries were identified and recommendations on possible courses of action were issued accordingly.?

This workshop was fully funded by the European Commission and is the first of four meetings to be held during the year and implemented in the framework of the IAEA technical cooperation RLA9078 project that aims at enhancing effective regional capabilities for safety and technological management of radioactive waste to protect the public and the environment in Latin American Countries.

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Project RLA/9/078 is carried out with funding by the European Union and the IAEA.