No danger after radiation scare at Koeberg, says Eskom

By Palesa Matlala

• Four radiation alarms were triggered during maintenance work at Koeberg Nuclear Power Station, but Eskom says all radioactive material remained safely contained inside the reactor building.

• More than 250 workers were tested after the incidents and the highest radiation exposure recorded was far below South Africa’s strict nuclear safety limits.

Eskom has told South Africans there is no need to worry after several radiation alarms went off at the Koeberg Nuclear Power Station.

The power utility says there was no radiation leak and no danger to people living near the plant.

While the National Nuclear Regulator agreed, saying the incidents did not put workers, nearby communities or the environment at risk.

The alarms went off while workers were carrying out planned maintenance on Unit 2, which has been shut down since April for inspections and repairs. The unit is expected to start producing electricity again in November.

During the work, robots were used to inspect large pipes inside the power station.

These robots disturbed tiny radioactive dust particles that had built up over many years.

Therefore dust stayed inside a sealed work area, where safety systems quickly detected it.

Each time an alarm sounded, work stopped immediately.

Workers left the area while powerful ventilation systems cleaned the air.

Eskom said all the radioactive material remained safely inside the reactor building.

None of it escaped into the environment.

There were four separate incidents between 30 June and 16 July.

One alarm was triggered by a worker’s personal radiation monitor.

Another happened when a damaged power cable stopped a ventilation machine from working.

A third happened after a ventilation plug came loose.

The fourth occurred during more inspection work inside the reactor.

After every incident, safety teams checked the area before work continued.

More than 250 workers were tested for radiation exposure.

The highest level recorded was very low.

Experts say it was about the same as the radiation a person receives from four dental X-rays or a few hours on a commercial flight.

The National Nuclear Regulator gave all four incidents a Level Zero rating, the lowest possible safety classification. This means the incidents had no impact on nuclear safety.

Eskom Board Chairperson Mteto Nyati said the station’s safety systems worked exactly as they were designed to.

Electricity and Energy Minister Dr Kgosientsho Ramokgopa also assured South Africans that Koeberg remains safe.

He said Unit 1 is still producing electricity as normal while Unit 2 is expected to return to service later this year.

Koeberg, near Cape Town, is Africa’s only nuclear power station.

It has been operating for more than 40 years and produces about five percent of South Africa’s electricity.

Eskom and the National Nuclear Regulator say the incidents show that Koeberg’s safety systems worked as they should and that there was never any danger to the public.

Pictured above: Eskom says there was no radiation leak at Koeberg Nuclear Power Station and that nearby communities were never in danger.

Image source: Eskom