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Decommissioning refers to the administrative and technical actions taken to remove all or some of the regulatory controls from an authorised facility so the facility and its site can be reused. Decommissioning includes activities such as planning, physical and radiological characterization, facility and site decontamination, dismantling, and materials management (IAEA NW-G-2.1 2011). The facility’s existing security arrangements should be maintained or suitably re-evaluated during the entire decommissioning process.
Decommissioning is often paired with changes in the workforce, including the recruitment of new personnel and outside contractors specialised in decommissioning, as well as redundancies upon completion of certain tasks. This last group of people may feel like they have no future stability in their career or financial situation which can result in disgruntlement. Disgruntled employees, in turn, can potentially become an insider threat to the facility.
In the UK, trade unions have argued that cutting jobs due to decommissioning can lead to a loss of vital skills and knowledge; that redundancies should never be compulsory but always voluntary; and that in case of redundancy, alternative jobs should be found where staff can utilise their current expertise. Focus on such issues helps to foster an environment of respect, which allows staff to focus on the job at hand and take safety and security seriously.
Further Reading:
BBC, ‘Magnox to cut up to 1,600 jobs at nuclear power sites’, 21 May 2015
