Dounreay told to improve safety after worker hurt
Dounreay's operators have been told to improve safety at the site after a piece of equipment toppled over and injured a worker.The accident happened at the nuclear power complex, near Thurso in Caithness, in February.Industry watchdog the Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR) said the worker escaped with minor injuries, but added that it considered the incident as "significant" and "preventable".ONR has issued Nuclear Restoration Services (NRS) with an improvement notice.
NRS said it took the protection of people and the environment "very seriously".
ONR said the a radiological contamination monitor, weighing about two tonnes, toppled over while it was being moved.Superintending inspector Tom Eagleton said: "This was a preventable incident that could have had serious consequences for those nearby."The improvement notice requires the Dounreay site to implement measures that will reduce the risk of similar occurrences in the future."Specifically, they must identify all operations involving the movement of heavy equipment and ensure comprehensive risk assessments and appropriate control measures are implemented before the work starts."NRS has until 25 July to comply with the notice.A spokesperson for NRS said: "We take the protection of people and the environment from harm very seriously. "We are taking action to strengthen our practices and management in this area, and will comply with the requirements of the notice received in April, having reported the incident to ONR and carried out an investigation."
Corroded steelwork
Dounreay was opened 70 years ago as an experimental nuclear power site and is now being decommissioned and the site shut down.Last year, ONR raised safety concerns about the state of some areas of the complex.It found corroded steelwork in a building being used to store drums of radioactive sodium, and leaks from low-level radioactive waste pits.NRS said it was carrying out urgent repairs and had an action plan to deal with other issues.These included ONR's warnings about old and degraded electric equipment and the site's stockpile of chemicals being over its set limit.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
BBC News
4 hours ago
- BBC News
Whaling Archive: 'I left Shetland to hunt whales in the Antarctic'
Gibbie Fraser was a teenager when he decided the best way to afford a motorbike like his friends on the west side of Shetland was to join the crew of a whaling later, at the age of 16, he was battling rough seas and violent storms in relentless pursuit of the largest animals on earth, 8,000 miles (13,000 km) from home in the South Atlantic is one of several former Scottish whalers contributing to a new digital time capsule exploring the country's forgotten history in modern Whalers' Memory Bank, launched in Dundee, aims to capture a snapshot of life onboard the whale-catching vessels around South Georgia and Antarctica between 1904 and 1965. "It was the highlight of my life," said Gibbie, who is chairman of the Shetland ex-Whalers Association."I knew boys who had gone before and they came home the following summer with really nice motorcycles and I thought 'that's the way to do it'."It was an adventure and when you are young, it is like a bit of a drug." Now 83, he was among hundreds of Scots who joined boats along with largely Norwegian crew in the post-war years, when work was like him, had grown up in small, coastal communities on Shetland, while others came from the Leith, in Edinburgh-based firm, Christian Salvesen, operated whale processing ports at the aptly named Leith Harbour at Stromness Bay in South Georgia, a British overseas territory about 870 miles (1,400 km) from the Falkland would fire harpoons aimed at killing and capturing blue, fin and humpback whales, which were brought aboard and processed at a centre in the island's main settlement, Grytviken. Gibbie began his career cooking and serving meals for the crew and cleaning the boat as a mess boy in the late the only non-smoker, he would also be sent above deck to steer at night while shipmates stayed below to play cards for remembered the conditions on board being hard, but said there was a sense of "camaraderie" among the crew."The catchers were wonderful boats and came through a lot of heavy weather, but you never walked along the aft end along the main deck, you had to go via the lifeboat deck because the main deck was awash most of the time," he said."When you were in bed, you were not far from where the gun platform was. You were about a foot-and-a-half from where the sea was. You could hear it rushing by."And it was daylight right round the clock. If you were among whales, then you kept going, you never stopped. It was right around the clock until the whales had disappeared." On one occasion, he recalled pursuing a fin whale in straight line for four hours before it was eventually said he "felt sorry" for the whales that were caught, adding he never wanted to see them suffer."I realise that it was a warm-blooded animal that could feel pain like I could, and probably fear too," he said."You always hoped that when the harpoon went in, that would kill it, it was never nice to see it struggle for a while." 'No longer viable' Gibbie completed four seasons aboard the boats and was only prevented from returning for a fifth when he suffered an arm injury in a crash involving his motorbike and a school bus at home in industry began to crumble in the early-1960s against the backdrop of more stringent government regulation and early environmental campaigns against the killing of the by that point, whale stocks had become so low that the practice was "no longer deemed economically viable".The Edinburgh-based firm, Christian Salvesen, wound down its whaling operations in is estimated about 176,000 whales were slaughtered and processed in South Georgia between 1904 and 1965. Historian Dan Snow helped launch the memory bank aboard the RRS Discovery in boat was built in the city as a research vessel which ferried explorers Robert Falcon Scott and Ernest Shackleton to the Antarctic in was centre of Scottish whaling throughout the 19th century when whale oil became an essential component for the softening of fabrics during jute says elements of the Discovery's construction were inspired by the whaling vessels arriving in the city during that period. He told BBC Radio's Good Morning Scotland: "Discovery was an Antarctic survey vessel built in Dundee because it had that whaling expertise, built with all sorts of features that they learned from whaling ships."It had things like rudders that lifted up into the hull and special strong hulls."Through the memory bank, we've been able to save these stories, these testimonies about what it was like to go down there for months on end through the eternal summer of the Antarctic and chase whales, using world war two ships and radar equipment, it was like they were waging war on these whales." The memory bank has been produced by the South Georgia Heritage Trust and the South Georgia worked with former whaling communities across Scotland to collect archive pictures and film, alongside several hundred items and oral histories and create a digital database, which can be viewed Balfour, assistant curator of the museum, whose great-grandfather and grandfather were both whalers in South Georgia, said: "To understand more about what they saw, what they experienced and how they, their colleagues and families back home must have felt, is incredibly special."It is amazing that over 60 years on from the whaling the camaraderie that exists between the whalers is just as strong."
The Independent
10 hours ago
- The Independent
UK-wide 2021 census data published for first time
A full set of UK-wide data collected for the 2021 census has been made available for the first time. Many details from the census have already been released, revealing a wealth of population information about the country's nations, regions and local areas. But a complete picture for the whole of the UK has only now been published. The delay in producing a set of UK-wide statistics is due to the unusual circumstances in which the 2021 survey took place. A census of the population has been held regularly since 1801, typically every 10 years and on the same day across the UK. The 2021 survey was disrupted by the Covid-19 pandemic, however. In England, Wales and Northern Ireland, the census occurred as planned on March 21 2021. But in Scotland it was postponed for 12 months because of the impact of the pandemic, eventually taking place on March 20 2022. This meant that, unlike for previous censuses, data had not been collected on the same date across the whole of the UK – and therefore Scotland's data was not directly comparable with that for the other nations. To solve this problem, the UK's statistical agencies have come together to create a full set of census numbers with a shared point in time of March 21 2021. Scotland's 2022 census data has been adjusted to create notional estimates for 2021, which have then been combined with the actual 2021 totals for England, Wales and Northern Ireland. The three agencies involved – the Office for National Statistics, National Records of Scotland and the Northern Ireland Statistics & Research Agency – describe it as 'a solution that is conceptually simple, pragmatic, and creates numbers for a consistent time point'. The new figures show for the first time how key population trends such as religion, ethnicity and marital status compare in the four parts of the UK. For example, while 80% of the population of Northern Ireland on census day identified as Christian, the equivalent figures for the rest of the country are much lower, at 46% in England, 44% in Wales and 40% in Scotland. Some 17% of people in Northern Ireland said they had no religion, rising to 37% in England, 47% in Wales and 50% in Scotland. The proportion of people identifying as white was highest in Northern Ireland (97%), followed by Wales (94%), Scotland (93%) and England (81%). England has the highest proportion of people identifying as Asian (10%), then Scotland (4%), Wales (3%) and Northern Ireland (2%), while the figures for people identifying as black were 4% for England and 1% for the other three countries. There is less variation in the proportion of people who were married or in a civil partnership on census day, with 44% for Scotland and Wales, 45% for England and 46% for Northern Ireland. The figures for people who are divorced or who have had a civil partnership dissolved range from 6% in Northern Ireland to 10% in Wales, with 8% for Scotland and 9% for England. Census results are used by a variety of organisations including governments, councils and businesses, and underpin everything from the calculation of economic growth and unemployment to helping plan schools, health services and transport links. Planning is already under way for the next UK census, which is due to take place in 2031.
The Sun
11 hours ago
- The Sun
We live in town building Britain's NUKES where mysterious ‘explosions' go off – we fear we're targets for war on UK soil
TERRIFIED villagers living in the shadow of Britain's top-secret nuclear weapons site say they feel like 'sitting ducks'. Residents in the sleepy village of Aldermaston, Berkshire, have spoken of their fear after hearing "mysterious explosions" from the neighbouring nuclear weapons facility AWE. 16 16 16 Living next to the Automatic Weapons Establishment - where the UK's most powerful bombs are designed - feels like being "on the front line", according to locals. They say their village would be targeted in the event of a nuclear or terrorist attack and have called on the Ministry of Defence to provide them with greater protection. The Sun can exclusively reveal that the state-owned site has agreed to launch a new emergency text alert system after mounting pressure from panicked neighbours. It comes after years of "mystery explosions", blaring sirens, and rumours of hazardous experiments behind the razor-wire fences – just yards from family homes. Business owner Kerry Thomas was one of the first to sign up to the text service that is due to come into operation in the next fortnight. The 45-year-old told The Sun: 'Everyone in the village was sent a letter by AWE telling us they wanted to share more communications with locals residents about what was going on at the site. 'We were invited to join a text service and the plan is that they will keep us posted about anything that is going on there, such as any planned security drills, or unusual events in and around the complex. "I think it is a great idea because it will stop people worrying or speculating every time they hear the sirens going off. "To be fair to AWE, they do seem to want to engage with the local community. 'I know they donate money for public events here in the village and they have hosted regular village hero award ceremonies. 'They have always worked with the village, rather than against it." Kerry admitted the growing global tensions and hostilities raging in the Middle East has made her nervous about hostile forces targeting her home town. Nuclear strikes, secret bunkers for Royals, & massive cyber attacks… how Britain is secretly bracing for war with Russia She said: 'Sure, we are right in the firing line here, but you have got to carry on living your life as best you can. "It was the same when the West was bombing Iraq years ago. 'There was a heightened risk of attack here, but we tried to go out about our lives as normal. 'Despite the extra risk associated with living somewhere like here, it's still a wonderful place to live." Kerry continued: "I have lived with what goes on here all my life, so it's all I know really. "You grow up knowing that if there is ever a nuclear war, we will be among the first to be hit. "We are in the middle of such beautiful countryside, yet really close to Reading and London. "I wouldn't live anywhere else.' She said she understands the need to invest extra billions in our defence capabilities and believes it is "money well spent". She added: "The UK has to keep up-to-date with modern nuclear technology. 16 16 "The way the world is now, it is simply a necessary evil. "We have to be well equipped with the best nuclear weapons in order to protect ourselves. "I wish it wasn't necessary, but in reality it is. "I try not to worry about it anymore and despite what people say about living next to a nuclear site, none of us here glow in the dark.' The government's recently-announced £15bn replacement for Britain's nuclear arsenal is being designed at the site. Earlier this month, Labour's John Healey became the first defence secretary to visit the AWE site since 2018. He told how Labour was making a generational decision to support expensive weapons that he hoped would protect the UK. He said: 'We've got a government recognising that we need to invest now if we're going to be able to maintain our strength of our independent UK nuclear deterrence in the decades to come. Labour's previous leader, Jeremy Corbyn, was heavily opposed to nuclear weapons. Operations have begun to scale up at Aldermaston with the initial phases of work on the new warhead under way. About 1,500 employees have joined AWE in the past year, bringing the total number of workers at the state-owned company to 9,500. Building surveyor Chris Robinson, 65, suggested that the text notifications did not go far enough to safeguard locals. 16 16 He called for the installation of an Israeli style defence shield like the Iron Dome at the 750-acre facility. He said: "I recognise that we need to have a strong nuclear capability because that is the only thing that is going to ensure world peace. "The existence of the concept of mutually assured destruction is ironically what keeps us all safe. "But I would like to see some kind of Iron Dome-style protection for the area because at the moment it feels like we are sitting ducks. "The AWE site would be a prime target for terrorists and we need to be better protected here." He recalled the recent break in at RAF Brize Norton by Palestine Action yobs in the neighbouring county of Oxfordshire as he called for greater measures to be put in place. Chris added: 'You only have to look at the break-in down the road last week to see how easy it is for someone who is determined enough to get into these complexes. 'Can you imagine the damage someone could do if they were to get inside the base at AWE with explosives strapped around them? 'I worry that idiotic leaders like Donald Trump are making the world a less and less safe place. "That kind of reinforces the need for all countries to have the best nuclear bombs because that international nuclear deterrent is what keeps us all safe in the end. 'I've never been inside the base but I hate the look of it from the outside. "It has lots of very ugly buildings. It's a shame they don't screen it a bit better with trees. 16 16 16 'It does feel a bit weird that I'm living right next to a nuclear plant, but I guess it's got to be somewhere." Components for Britain's nuclear warhead – known as Holbrook – are designed, tested and built at Aldermaston. The warheads themselves are largely assembled at the nearby Burghfield site, before being transported by road to Coulport, in Scotland. The assembly process is completed there and the Trident missiles, with their British warheads, are loaded on to submarines at nearby Faslane. Aimee Kirkpatrick, 20, who has lived in the village all her life, told how regular practice drills often send the villagers into a frenzy. She explained: 'Almost every week, sirens will go off at the base. "It's very scary for those of us who live here because we never know if it's a practice drill or the real thing. 'If a nuclear bomb is ever going to be dropped on the UK, and I hope to God it never is, I'd much rather be right underneath it when it lands than die painfully over time from the fall-out. 'I accept we live somewhere that's going to be a prime target, but my life is here so I don't want to move away.' Aimee, who works at a local pub while studying for a marketing degree, said many of her friends from school are now apprentices at AWE. She said: 'They love working there because the company is actually a really good employer. "The pay is good and they're learning interesting stuff. 16 16 16 "One of them is involved in nuclear physics, which must be a pretty cool apprenticeship to be doing.' The new nuclear device, called Astraea, will not be ready for deployment until the 2030s or 2040s. It will be designed at Aldermaston, principally using small test explosions, which are then extrapolated by an onsite supercomputer to simulate a nuclear blast. Its explosive power is not yet known, though independent experts think it will probably be more than the 80-100kt Holbrook, and possibly closer to 475kt, a benchmark set by the most powerful US warhead. For comparison, the bomb dropped on Hiroshima, which killed between 70,000 and 140,000 people (estimates vary widely), was 15kt. 16
