Link to the study - European Parliament - Europa

Policy Department D: Budgetary Affairs
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Part of the staff is still involved into operational activities. Simultaneously the decommissioning work
occurred and required an adaption to the new skills by personnel. A general safety policy was
established in 2010 where the strategy of the decommissioning works is described.
The training programs were modified towards decommissioning works and the composition of the
work force was adapted. The training of dismantling staff is partly carried out by internal forces and
partly executed by external forces. The training for the staff in the training centres involves both
'hardware' - technical as well as soft skills training.
The adaptation to the decommissioning task also involved psychological aspects. The first
decommissioning activities started in 2001. The reorganization occurred only later in 2010-2011. The
first phase can be characterized as a 'frustration period', among the staff but as well among the whole
region around Ignalina being economically and socially strongly depending from the nuclear power
plants. The task of decommissioning had to be established over this period. Meanwhile, the work
force and the region accepted the decommissioning as their prime task.
Another factor is that decommissioning requires a very different organization structure and job
understanding than in the operational phase. The original top down hierarchy of the operation
phase, more driven by handbooks, guidelines and well-established routine work, has to be
exchanged by a more project-oriented approach, non-routine work governs the process and
problem-solving capabilities are required instead. The adaption process is still under development
and new and old structures still exist, but are more and more exchanged.
About 5 000 people were employed in the time of the operation. Currently, about 2 000 employees
are involved into the decommissioning – with about 95 % the same personnel. New experts are
employed if they are needed.
Safety culture indicators – quantitative and qualitative – had already been developed and
implemented in the operation phase and are now adapted for the decommissioning phase. The long
continuity behind those indicators is seen as a clear advantage. A regularly bench marking of the
safety culture takes place.
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Administrational aspects
Was it necessary to majorly change the internal administrational structure to adapt it to the new task?
Did you encounter frictions in that change process?
Are major administrational changes ahead to improve the structures?
Technical aspects
Which safety status has the facility reached? What has to be done technically to reduce safety risks further?
Which technical challenges were encountered so far in the project? How did those influence costs and time
frame?
Have lessons been learned by technical challenges so far?
Which technical challenges do you see currently and in the near future? How are you preparing for those?
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