Physicist who found meaning for his work in Olkiluoto
25.7.2018
More than one hundred new staff members were recruited at Olkiluoto last year. One of them is Olli-Pekka Rauhala, who started his work as a radiation safety engineer in November. What kind of tasks does his work consist of? We spent a day with Rauhala.
– The free bus ride from Rauma to Olkiluoto was a pleasant surprise for me. It is really nice since I happen to live right next to the stop.
At Olkiluoto, Rauhala climbs the steps to the second floor of the head office in the morning. His workstation is located at the end of a well-lit open-plan office. The desk is clean and not stacked with piles of paper. There is a view to the parking lot, which has barely any free spaces during annual outages.
Challenges and responsibilities on the desk
The radiation safety engineer is kept busy by various safety assessments and calculations at both TVO and Posiva. System updates require new calculations and expert assessments. Many questions come up during changes to architectural drawings. Answers are generally needed quickly. Rauhala serves in the role of nuclear safety coordinator at Posiva’s final disposal and encapsulation plant.
– Daily matters are easy to attend to when everybody sits in the same room. When I work at TVO, the organisation is larger but the work is a bit more independent. We have regular meetings where we review the progress of work and see whether the work load could be divided, Rauhala says.
– In February and March, I was tasked with processing an extensive annual report used to notify the authorities of issues relating to radiation safety in the environment. It was a big responsibility for a new guy, but it also offered the challenge I wanted.
Shoulder workout
Originally from Kotka, Rauhala has made himself at home in Rauma. He is a calm man, but his hobbies are not so calm. Or how do climbing, freeskiing and mountain biking sound to you? He has also found like-minded company at the crossfit gym. Climbing asks a lot of the shoulders. At the workplace, Rauhala has frequently used the new office exercise room including different exercise tools.
– It is great that it’s possible to take care of oneself during the working day.
It is important for work to have meaning
Rauhala has been interested in natural sciences from an early age. In his youth, his dream was to become a doctor so that he could help others. However, Rauhala ended up studying physics at the University of Turku after considering that as a physicist he could have wider influence.
– It is very important to me that my work is meaningful and interesting. Nuclear power is essential for the future of our planet. I can make my contribution to Finland receiving a significant part of its electricity from carbon-free nuclear power.
– I was also interested in the opportunity to work in an international environment. During my studies, I had two working periods in Switzerland. In addition to the great memories from climbing trips, these periods created in me a longing for international work.
Rauhala also has work experience from the Laboratory of Industrial Physics at the University of Turku, where he worked for a year and a half. He had in mind the career of a researcher, but after graduation, the position of radiation safety engineer tempted him to apply. That is a good thing, because the pedant Rauhala is the right man for the Olkiluoto work community.
Text: Henna Engren
Image: Tapani Karjanlahti
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