A radiopharmaceutical company in Selangor has been ordered to stop operation and its premises has been sealed by the Atomic Energy Licensing Board (AELB) for further investigation after

radioactive materials were detected on four of its workers.

Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Dr Maximus Johnity Ongkili, said the radioactive contamination was detected by AELB through a Radiation Portal Monitor (RPM) system at 11.30am last June 2 after the four workers went to the AELB office.

“"The radiation reading on one of the workers exceeded more than 400 times the normal reading (the normal reading is 0.5 micro Sievert/hour),” he said in press statement in Kuala Lumpur today.

He said the four workers had gone through the decontamination process, with three of them at the National Radiological Emergency Centre at the AELB head office in Dengkil.

The other worker, who was directly involved with the radiopharmaceutical leakage, was decontaminated at the Malaysian Nuclear Agency, he added.

        

Ongkili said an AELB team also monitored the company premises the same day and found the contamination there at more than 100 times the normal reading.

“The contaminated area has been cordoned off to ensure the radiation does not spread or any radioactive particles from leaving the place,” he added.

The company was also ordered to review its work procedure and to submit remedial action to prevent the incident from happening again.

- Bernama