Here is the article from newindpress.com site.
CHENNAI: The reprocessing plant at the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) Facility, Kalpakkam, has been temporarily closed down following high levels radiation exposure suffered by three staff members on June 21.
However, the condition of the ``exposed workers'' is no cause for alarm, it is stated. A top official of the BARC who confirmed the incident told this website's newspaper that the shutdown had been effected only by way of abundant precaution.
``At the moment, a high-level expert committee is going into the various safety aspects of the plant. It would be reopened once all the necessary measures to forestall the recurrence of such incidents are in place,'' he said.
The exposure incident reportedly occurred on January 21 when Scientific Officer Sridharan, Scientific Assistant B P Singh and Tradesman Raju went into a non-radiation area in the Reprocessing Plant at the BARC. They were doing some routine sample test. But they came out with symptoms of exposure to high levels of radiation, it is learnt.
The affected employees were rushed to the Radiation Medical Centre, Mumbai, but the management refused to reveal the medical results.
Agitated, the employees went about raising slogans and distributing pamphlets questioning management practices. That resulted in the transfer of two union leaders. Several memos were also issued to the workers. The peremptory action of the management provoked a flash strike on June 23.
Subsequently, B Bhattacharjee, Director BARC, Mumbai, flew down to Chennai personally and briefed the employees affected by the exposure. Belated efforts were also taken to reassure the BARC staff that things were fine in the facility.
The BARC official quoted earlier noted that if any of the workers received higher than permissible levels of radiation, they would be taken out of the radiation area so that the integrated dose did not increase.
The same practice was now being adhered to in the case of the three "exposed" staff. The reports from Mumbai were quite reassuring though they had been subjected to higher than permissible levels of radiation, the official said. T Mohan, general secretary, Atomic Energy Employees' Association said the employees withdrew their strike after receiving a strong assurance from the authorities that all their concerns would be duly addressed and steps taken to ensure that no one's health was affected consequent on exposure to radiation.
``The management favourably responded to most of the demands put forward by the striking staff except for the two transfer orders. From now on the union too would be represented in the security council of the facility,'' he said.