Building Decommissioning and the Growing Role of Rapid Field Screening Technologies

Building decommissioning projects are rarely as simple as turning off the lights and locking the door. Whether the project involves an industrial facility, research laboratory, manufacturing plant, military site, hospital, mine, nuclear facility or legacy infrastructure, one challenge consistently emerges: understanding what hazards are present, where they are located and whether they have migrated beyond their original source.

Traditionally, organizations have relied heavily on laboratory testing to answer these questions. Whilst irreplaceable as a tool, this is not the most efficient workflow. Especially when considering some of these projects cost hundreds of thousands a day (depending on the scale of the project). Even if only 10% of the site is closed off waiting for lab results, that equates to vast sums of money because of the time lag waiting for results.

Because building decommissioning often involves making hundreds or thousands of operational decisions before laboratory results become available, rapid field screening can keep project momentum, save time and money.

Why Are Decommissioning Projects Difficult?

Most decommissioning projects involve:

• aging infrastructure with incomplete historical records
• unknown and/or poorly classified hazards
• multiple contractors operating simultaneously
• legacy contamination from previous activities
• uncertainty regarding contamination migration pathways
• pressure to control costs and maintain project schedules
• changing site conditions as work progresses

In many cases, the challenge is not simply identifying contamination.

The challenge is understanding where contamination may have migrated during decades of operations, maintenance activities, renovations, equipment movement, demolition works or previous remediation efforts.

It is often relatively easy to identify where a hazard originated.

Understanding where it ended up can be much harder.

This is where uncertainty can quickly become expensive.

Where Do Rapid Field Screening Technologies Fit?

Rapid field screening technologies are not intended to replace laboratory analysis.

Instead, they provide additional operational awareness that can support decision making throughout a project.

Potential benefits include:

• prioritizing areas for laboratory sampling
• rapidly screening large numbers of surfaces
• identifying potential contamination migration pathways
• supporting remediation and clean-up activities
• reducing unnecessary delays while awaiting laboratory results
• improving confidence when making day-to-day operational decisions
• helping project teams better understand the extent of an issue

The objective is not replacing the laboratory.

The objective is reducing uncertainty between laboratory sampling events.

For many organizations, that means obtaining useful information early enough to make practical decisions regarding remediation, demolition, waste handling, contractor management and project scheduling.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can rapid field screening technologies replace laboratory testing?

No. Laboratory analysis remains essential for many contaminants and regulatory decisions. Rapid field screening technologies are designed to provide operational awareness and support decision making between laboratory sampling events.

Why is contamination migration important during decommissioning?

Contamination is often found away from its original source due to maintenance activities, equipment movement, personnel movement, ventilation systems, demolition works or historical operations. Understanding migration pathways is often one of the most important parts of a decommissioning project.

What types of facilities can benefit from rapid screening?

Industrial facilities, laboratories, manufacturing plants, military sites, hospitals, research facilities, mines, utilities and nuclear facilities may all benefit from rapid screening as part of broader contamination management programs.

Does rapid screening reduce project costs?

Every project is different. However, identifying issues earlier and reducing uncertainty can help organizations focus resources where they are most needed and avoid unnecessary delays.

What is the biggest challenge during building decommissioning?

In many cases, the biggest challenge is not identifying a hazard. It is obtaining enough information, early enough, to make confident decisions regarding safety, remediation, scheduling and project execution.