Canadian nuclear laboratories navigates pandemic challenges while mitigating operational risks

Challenge

Strictly regulated, CNL relies on fast access to archived information, a lengthy process compounded by growing records and inconsistent manual work practices. This made it hard to maintain inventories, retention schedules and audit trails.

Solution

Iron Mountain® helped develop a holistic digital strategy and end-to-end solution for centralizing and digitizing legacy records in multiple formats. It ensures secure full chain of custody covering collection, transportation, imaging, and shredding.

Results

CNL was able to ramp up scanning and support home workers during the pandemic. Now, with substantial productivity gains, vital information flows faster throughout the organization. Plans include a new CNL facility with Good Laboratory Practice compliance.

Advancing nuclear science and technology for a cleaner and more secure world
“As our archive continued to snowball, it was taking longer to hunt through boxes and retrieve records. And we had all the usual problems like maintaining up-to-date inventories, retention schedules and audit trails.”Megan Diamond, Information Management Supervisor, Canadian Nuclear Laboratories

Improving information strategy and best practice

Snowball effect

Canadian Nuclear Laboratories (CNL) is a world leader in developing peaceful and innovative applications from nuclear technology. It delivers a range of services: from research and development, design and engineering to waste management and decommissioning.

Over the years, CNL had accumulated an ever-growing archive of personal files, scientific reports, decommissioning plans, test results, seismic recordings, and other vital information. Stored across various sites, it was mostly paper based, but also included microfiche, data tape, CD and VHS formats. Ensuring timely access to these records was becoming harder.

“We’re required by law to hold certain information for up to 300 years, which tended to promote a hoarding culture,” explains Information Management Supervisor, Megan Diamond. “As our archive continued to snowball, it was taking longer to hunt through boxes and retrieve records. And we had all the usual problems like maintaining up-to-date inventories, retention schedules and audit trails.”

Digital partner

In response, CNL began looking for a partner, initially for offsite storage with the longer-term goal of developing a holistic digital strategy for consolidating paper and legacy records. Following a competitive tender among government-approved suppliers, Iron Mountain® was appointed to help accelerate this vision.

“Aside from extra resources and feet on the ground, Iron Mountain provided the strategic focus and information governance best practices we’d been missing,” recalls Diamond. “The turning point was three years ago and since then we’ve thrown new challenges their way and broadened the relationship.”

“For us, digital means getting vital knowledge and information from A to B in the least time possible. So, our highly skilled experts in physics, metallurgy, chemistry, biology and engineering can work collaboratively and safely.”
Megan Diamond, Information Management Supervisor, Canadian Nuclear Laboratories