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THE SELLAFIELD nuclear plant has been fined a staggering £380,000 for breaching health and safety procedures – which led to a worker at the plant being exposed to an unsafe level of plutonium.
Those who see nuclear power as a cheap, free – and even green – way of generating electricity often say that the industry is very safe and there is little risk of the public being exposed to the deadly toxins contained in a nuclear power plant. That assertion s very difficult to believe, given that Sellafield, one of the UK’s oldest nuclear sites, was not able to spot the danger to workers who were cleaning corroded probes.
Jonathan Greggain was cleaning a probe on 5th February 2017 when it punctured a protective glove which he was wearing. Greggain was exposed to eight times the annual limit of plutonium in the incident – which left him very worried for his health.
The Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR) investigated and concluded that Sellafield Ltd had not correctly assessed the risk to workers who were protected only by a glove when they were working with sharp objects. The ONR added that the incident could have been avoided if the company had had a programme of replacing probes before they became corroded and needed cleaning. However, they went on to conclude that this one incident did not give them any concern about the company’s other procedures for controlling risks and hazards.
A spokesperson for the company said that safety and security was its highest priority and they were disappointed that the accident had occurred despite the company’s “robust and thorough safety arrangements”. He claimed the accident was an isolated incident that did not raise any “broader safety concerns”.
The company had pleaded guilty to health and safety breaches. As well as the fine of £380,000, the company was ordered to pay legal costs of just under £100,000 – bringing the cost of the accident which the “robust and thorough safety arrangements were unable to prevent” to just under £500,000 – which must also have been very disappointing for them. Mr Greggain’s condition, and degree of disappointment, has not been made public.
The fine was announced days after Sellafield Ltd reported on its progress of cleaning the site of plutonium and disposing safely of the toxic waste, which can be found on:
Plutonium Report
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