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The Norwegian Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority (DSA) has concluded the audit of the independent external investigation that IFE established in 2019 and concluded in 2021. The audit concluded misconduct in five projects for four customers, and IFE reported the matter to ØKOKRIM in 2020. DSA has also decided to file a report with ØKOKRIM regarding the situation.
In connection with the restructuring related to the shutdown of the Halden reactor, IFE’s management received a notification in the spring of 2019 about possible irregularities in the execution of contract-based research projects at the Halden reactor in the period 1997-2002. IFE engaged an external investigator to investigate the notification. Based on the initial investigations, IFE decided in July 2019 to conduct a thorough investigation. The investigation was led by Kvamme Associates AS with assistance from the law firm Selmer AS.
The investigation was conducted from 2019 to 2021 and required significant resources, both internally in IFE and externally. Security considerations have been the driving force behind the process, and the investigation was given a broad mandate to investigate whether there could have been other cases of scientific misconduct or other forms of irregularities than the circumstances covered by the whistleblowing case. IFE has kept the authorities, involved customers and other relevant stakeholders continuously informed. IFE reported the matter to ØKOKRIM in April 2020, and is awaiting feedback on whether an investigation of the case will be opened. DSA has supervised the investigation since September 12th 2019, and has now concluded its audit and published the inspection report.
About the investigation
The investigation that IFE initiated, documented scientific misconduct in five projects for four customers in the period 1995 to 2003. The investigation was carried out in two phases. In the first phase, from July 2019 to May 2020, the investigation uncovered scientific misconduct in a total of five projects for four customers at the Halden reactor in the period 1995 to 2003. In these projects, data or test setups were changed in violation of IFE’s test procedures and the customers’ specifications. Any deviation from specifications in this type of test is serious. The investigation concludes that the misconduct was concealed in a way that made it very difficult to detect. In the second phase from May 2020 to June 2021, the investigation team engaged with affected customers to provide them with information and data.
The Halden reactor was used to test materials and fuel for use in nuclear power plants. IFE decided in 2018 to shut down the research reactor and is preparing to decommission and transfer nuclear facilities to the state.
The investigation has clarified that there have been no irregularities in the Halden Reactor Project (HRP). The HRP started in 1958 under the auspices of the OECD Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA). IFE hosts the project and conducts research on nuclear safety in collaboration with state security organizations, national research foundations and industrial companies in several countries.
The investigation received information from three out of four affected customers that the misconduct has not had safety consequences for facilities abroad, while there is no confirmation or denial from one of the affected customers.
The audit report
The purpose of the DSA’s audit has been to clarify the significance of the misconduct for nuclear safety at nuclear facilities in Norway and other countries. DSA met the investigation team and conducted interviews with people responsible for safety at the Halden reactor and responsible for safety documentation, and a former employee at IFE. IFE has submitted a number of documents to DSA as a basis for the audit. In addition, the DSA has been in contact with the supervisory authorities in the countries affected by the irregularities.
The DSA considers that the investigation has been carried out in an appropriate manner. The Authority has found six non-conformities in connection with the irregularities in five projects for four customers.
- IFE has not complied with the purpose of the license and violated the conditions for the license under the Atomic Energy Act
- IFE’s actions have entailed increased risk, and IFE has consequently not complied with the safety standards
- IFE has not complied with the duty of internal control
- IFE has had a weak safety culture
- IFE has not complied with the duty to protect against damage, and changes that could have an impact on safety were implemented without adequate safety assessments and without being presented to DSA
- IFE did not send a report of operational disruptions/accidents in connection with an incident in 1997
DSA writes in the audit report that IFE has taken the conditions seriously and worked to further develop the safety culture and process for safety assessments in the event of changes to operations or facilities. The audit report concludes that there is no need for special follow-up of this further beyond the ongoing work IFE does to strengthen the safety culture. DSA also refers to the fact that IFE has taken a number of measures to strengthen the work in ethics both through organization, clarification of ethical guidelines, consequences of violations of ethical guidelines and training in ethics for employees. DSA further states that IFE must ensure that the results affected by the misconduct are not used in further research activities and that the affected results are no longer made available. They request that IFE reports on the follow-up of these points in connection with the annual reporting under the Atomic Energy Act. DSA reports the matter to ØKOKRIM.
-DSA has concluded a thorough audit. IFE initiated an investigation in 2019, which DSA has monitored, and DSA concludes that IFEs investigation has been completed in a satisfactory manner. The misconducts revealed through the investigation are completely unacceptable, regardless of motives involved, and are not representative of IFE as a research institute. As DSA points out, IFE has implemented a number of number of measures to improve safety culture, control procedures and ethics, over the years. This would not have happened today. This is a grave and significant matter, but it shows that IFE’s employees have the necessary trust in their employer to report difficult matters, which is very important, says Nils Morten Huseby, president at IFE.
You can read the report here (in Norwegian).
Contacts
Silje Aspholm Hole, + 47 930 22 096, Communications Director
Jonas B. Bjørnes, + 47 478 32 177, Senior Communications Advisor and Public Affairs for the Nuclear Facilities
Nils Morten Huseby, + 47 905 44 545, President
