Press Trust of India / Mumbai Nov 21, 2009, 12:57 IST
Nuclear safety pioneer and former member Secretary of the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB) P N Krishnamoorthy died here following a brief illness.
82-year-old Krishnamoorthy, popularly known as 'PNK' breathed his last on November 16, family sources said today. A close associate of Dr Homi Bhabha, Krishnamoorthy contributed in establishing robust and well laid out procedures to assist the Board in its decision making process.
The senior scientist organised a survey of the protective measures in place in Indian medical institutions and submitted a paper at the Second UN Conference on Peaceful Uses of Atomic Energy, Geneva in 1958. Follow up measures led to significant reduction of radiation doses to workers in those institutions.
"While serving as a consultant to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Krishnamoorthy, co-authored the Health Physics Addendum with G J Appleton of the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority. This was the first Addendum to the Manual on Safe Handling of Radioisotopes, the first operational safety standard issued by the IAEA," K S Parthasarathy, former secretary of AERB told PTI.
When Homi Bhabha set up the Directorate of Radiation Protection in 1963 to educate and train the non DAE (Department of Atomic Energy) personnel handling radiation sources and radioactive materials, Krishnamoorthy led the programme, Parthasarthy said.
"PNK established a nationwide radiological protection programme and implemented various elements of the programme including provision of personnel monitoring services, procedures to approve site plans and to license users of radiation sources and equipment apart from preparation of safety standards and organisation of training programmes," he said.
The Radiation Protection Rules 1971 drafted under his supervision was the first piece of subordinate legislation under Atomic Energy Act 1962. It was later replaced by Atomic Energy (Radiation Protection) Rules, 2004.
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