Chernobyl - Practicing Sarcophagus Roof Repairs

At the Chernobyl Nulcear Plant, personnel of the contractor UTEM recently participated in a two-day training program designed to teach them appropriate skills for repairing part of the Sarcophagus' roof. The training, conducted by Yuri Pasechnikova and Oleg Mihnevicha (from ChAES), involved 20 contractors. The employees were taught how to improve the consistency of fastening the new roofing material and how to use special power tools. Techniques for using personal protective equipment was also discussed.

Physical work on the actual roof is scheduled to begin May 20 and be completed within two months. These roofing repairs are designed to:

• Reduce the amount of rainfall currently entering the Sarcophagus' interior
• Decrease the potential outflow of radioactive aerosols into the environment

Photo - courtesy of ChAES