A GLOBAL shortage of radiation safety officers amid burgeoning mining activity and the need for mentors has led Sharon Paulka to set up her own business in South Australia.
Ms Paulka, one of just ten mine site radiation experts in the country and a key member of BHP Billiton’s Olympic Dam Environmental Impact Statement team, set up Paulka Radiation & Environment recently to help stem the industry shortage.
Fresh from a trip to Namibia where she helped the International Atomic Energy Agency train African nation representatives in radiation risk assessment, Ms Paulka said the next six to 12 months will be crucial to obtaining one or two contracts and mentoring new entrants by offering them a chance to “learn on the job”.
