The U.S. National Nuclear Security Administration could bolster protection of the nation's nuclear weapons complex by testing for use of steroids and other drugs by employees in sensitive positions, the Energy Department's inspector general recommended in a report released last month (see GSN, Aug. 11).
Earlier this year, several guards at the Y-12 National Security Complex in Tennessee were fired after they tested positive for anabolic steroids.
The discovery of steroid use at the site "is significant because steroid abuse can lead to serious side effects such as aggressive behavior, mood swings and depression, which could impair an individual's judgment and disqualify them from participation in the [Human Reliability Program]," a security initiative focusing on individuals with access to sensitive nuclear or weapon components, the report states, according to the Knoxville, Tenn., News Sentinel.
"Given the potential side effects of medications such as narcotic pain relievers, muscle relaxants and steroids, a more comprehensive listing of medications requiring work restrictions could serve to ensure that Reliability Program employees are performing their duties free from the impairing effects of certain prescription medications and other drugs."
The National Nuclear Security Administration is reviewing the report's proposals, said spokesman Damien LaVera.
This review is intended to determine the feasibility and desirability of incorporating steroids into current employee drug testing practices," he said in an e-mail statement. "We take our commitment to a safe, accountable work force very seriously, and we want to make sure our review looks at all possible factors before a decision is made" (Frank Munger, Knoxville News Sentinel, Nov. 25).