Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Employees
New Safe Confinement (NSC) Workers Undergo Radiological Testing
Workers are needed to build a new structure over the Chernobyl Nuclear Plant's damaged reactor. Applicants and workers must undergo testing for radiation exposure.
People are lining up to work on the New Safe Confinement structure (NSC) at the Chernobyl Nuclear Plant in Ukraine. The NSC is being constructed to replace the existing cement Sarcophagus that was designed to last 20 years and is currently deteriorating and leaking radiation.
Interviewing Applicants
Applicants must first go through an in-depth interview process regarding their previous work situations. The purpose is to determine the external doses of radiation already received based on the actual work performed as well as the location of that work. This is important because people are not allowed to work in the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone if their exposure is too high.
Radiologic Testing of Workers
The applicants are then tested for internal doses of radiation. Simple measurements are taken for those who have not previously worked in a contaminated zone. These measurements are the same as those taken for children currently living in contaminated zones and children of liquidators (people who worked on the cleanup of the Chernobyl disaster).
If an applicant has worked in a contaminated zone, they must undergo a more in-depth scan including a check for radioactive particles on their skin and in their hair. They then are scanned in a Whole Body Counter that utilizes energy spectrum detectors. This spectrum identifies cesium, potassium, and possibly cobalt levels in the body. Cobalt is only detected if the applicant has spent a lot of time in the Exclusion Zone. The results help approximate internal radiation doses based on the amount of cesium in the body. An indication of how these elements were ingested is found in a printed layout of the amounts of cesium and potassium throughout the body. If the cesium is distributed in the same manner as the potassium, then the cesium was eaten. If the cesium is centralized in the thoracic region, then it was inhaled.
Measures for Staying Safe
After the tests, the new workers are informed about the amount of radiation they can expect to receive on the job. To limit internal doses, they are told to only purchase food from actual stores and not from people on the side of the road, which is cheaper. To prevent the inhalation of radioactive dust, they are told to wear face masks. The workers are given a set of stickers to identify their required bio-samples. The main measurement is conducted each day by swabbing a Q-tip in each nostril and then placing it in a plastic bag. Contamination on workers hands can cause false positive test results. To prevent this, workers are required to wash their hands before taking their samples. If a test reading is too high, the worker will have to undergo three days of tests in Kyiv. When this happens, the majority of cases are due to workers not washing their hands before taking samples.
Twice a month, workers also have to submit stool and urine samples. If bio-samples are not submitted on schedule, the workers are no longer allowed to work in the Zone. Many workers lie on their questionnaires about previous work or cheat on their bio samples to make sure they keep their job.
Worker Salaries
NSC construction workers are paid approximately 9 euros per hour. The pay is the same, if not less than some construction jobs in Kyiv. Currently, jobs are so hard to find in Ukraine that people are willing to receive the same or less pay in significantly worse working conditions. In reality, it is just like any other construction work in Ukraine - you work for a few months and when it is done, they pay an additional $300 and you go home.
