Sellafield breaks hazard rules
Posted: 29th August 2024
Sellafield Ltd has been handed two improvement notices after hazardous substance control breaches. The Office for Nuclear Regulation has served the notices after breaches of The Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002. Enforcement action was taken after Sellafield Ltd failed to manage the risks of working with nickel nitrate and to prevent or adequately control exposure of workers to this hazardous substance in one of its effluent facilities. These shortfalls did not compromise either nuclear or radiological safety. Used in the treatment of effluent, nickel nitrate is not radioactive, but is a hazardous substance and could cause harm to the health of a worker exposed to it. To mitigate these risks, operations involving the chemical should be conducted in a glovebox to protect workers from any harmful health effects. In one facility on site, contamination was found outside the glovebox area, which resulted in workers potentially being exposed to the chemical. A poorly designed and maintained glovebox appeared to have contributed to the contamination.
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https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cx2glg498pzo