Questions raised over drug testing at Viking Energy site

Large quantities of concrete are needed for the turbine bases. Photo: Viking Energy.

Stringent testing is carried out to stamp out any drug and alcohol misuse at the Viking Energy site.

The issue was raised at tonight’s (Tuesday’s) meeting of the Viking Community Liaison Group, by its chairman Andrew Archer.

He said people “would like to know” the measures being taken to minimise the risks on the community.

Last week local police chief inspector Stuart Clemenson claimed a minority of incomers were mainly responsible for a recent number of “alarming” criminal incidents in Shetland.

Responding to Mr Archer, Viking Energy’s Aaron Priest said drug and alcohol testing was carried out every three months by an external accredited company.

“Names are randomly selected from the daily sign in register and whoever is pulled out of the hat on a particular day is drug and alcohol tested,” he said.

He added testers could also be brought in to undertake additional work as required, while random mid-cycle testing was carried out, too.

“There is not a routine that anyone thinks could be worked around.”

Mr Archer asked that, if he was an average on-site contractor, how many times he might be tested in a year.

Mr Priest said the number of tests carried out every three months were in double figures.

The Viking site, he said, was also subject to regular monthly sweeps by Dogs Against Drugs.

He added workers travelling on chartered flights were subject to the same security measures as those using scheduled air services operated by Loganair.

The meeting also heard from Gary Tait of SSEN Transmission, who said regular random drug and alcohol testing was carried out at the convertor station development at Kergord.

The testing, he said, applied to all personnel, adding he, himself, had been tested.