Radioactivity in the neighborhood: SAT disposes of the “unpleasant legacy” of the Swiss watch industry

The effort for the SAT teams, each consisting of two people, was considerably high. The reason for this was that the paint was distributed over a wide area in the various, often private, properties, so that remains were regularly found in a great variety of places. From radiators to door handles, in drains and of course in the floors of rooms or the gardens of the houses. The radium had spread over a large area. Therefore, the cleanup of each of the former “private” production sites typically took between 2 and 4 weeks. Another complicating matter was the fact that the sites were spread over virtually the whole of Switzerland, requiring a high degree of mobility of the materials and the operation teams.