No more bomb dogs on construction sites

Bomb dogs.Photo: Lise Åserud / SCANPIX

End of use of Armed Forces bomb dogs on Norwegian construction sites

For almost three years, the Defence Explosives team have prevented explosion accidents at Norwegian sites. But over the New Year, the scheme will be cancelled wrote Bergens Tidende newspaper.

 

So far, the dogs have uncovered up to 500 unique dynamite residues on Norwegian sites, but over 2019, the project will be closed down according to the Defence Research Institute (FFI).

“It’s scary to end these security measures. If the dogs disappear, it will be much more unsafe at Norwegian plants,” said Harald Fagerheim of the Norwegian Public Roads Administration to Bergens Tidende newspaper.

The cooperation between the Defence Dog School, the Norwegian Public Roads Administration, and the FFI has been ongoing since 2016. While the defence explosives dogs have been well-trained to search for explosives, Norwegian construction sites have become safer.

Diverse findings

The findings that are made vary between 50 grams of explosive residues to whole sticks of undetected dynamite.

“Once they have found so much explosive, I’m sure we’ve been saved many serious blasting events. The risk will clearly increase if the dogs disappear,’’ said Fagerheim.

But the Armed Forces are not interested in continuing the cooperation.

“The reason is that the Armed Forces do not want to be a player in markets where civil companies can establish and perform the task,’’ FFI disclosed on its web page.

 

© NTB scanpix / #Norway Today