OKG cleaners put on guard duty

Friday, 31 October 2008

[SSM, Associated Press; 30 October] Swedish utility OKG has been criticized by the country's nuclear regulator for using cleaning staff to guard the Oskarshamn nuclear power plant when the alarm system was malfunctioning. For about a week in early October, OKG managers deployed 20-25 cleaning and maintenance staff to help guard parts of the plant's perimeter fence. The workers were instructed to alert security if the outer fence was being breached as motion sensors in parts of the newly installed alarm system were not functioning. The Swedish Radiation Safety Authority (SSM) said that OKG's decision to use workers with no training as security guards was "in conflict with the company's internal procedures," adding that it was "particularly serious because the deviation from the procedure lasted for a long time." The SSM also criticized OKG for not properly documenting the decision and said that the incident "could be a sign of inadequate safety culture regarding the attitude to physical protection." OKG said that it had based its decision on the fact that the inner security fences were intact, equipped with the necessary alarm and surveillance equipment.