The UAE’s first laboratory for measuring radiation levels was inaugurated on 1 April at Khalifa University, Gulf News reported. The Secondary Standards Dosimetry Laboratory (SSDL) is a joint partnership involving the Federal Authority for Nuclear Regulation (FANR) and Khalifa University. Before the opening of the lab, companies that handled radioactive instruments and materials had to send them abroad for calibration. “The inauguration of the SSDL represents another step taken to ensure radiation protection of the public, workers and the environment. SSDL is one of the cornerstones at FANR in building the radiation protection infrastructure in the UAE,” said FANR director general Christer Viktorsson.
The lab has received the support of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), which has carried out several visits to the lab, with the facility passing all IAEA safety tests,” he said. He added that the lab would be opened to several different industries, with the prime users set to come from the medical industry with their frequent use of radiography. “Many other sectors can also use the lab, they just have to contact FANR and tell us that they have instruments they need to calibrate. The instruments are then brought to the lab and measured for their radiation levels, if everything is fine they are given a certificate for the instruments they are using,” he added. “We have trained Emirati staff to be able to carry out the radiation measurement services, it’s going to be Emirati FANR staff doing the main work at the lab.”
