Work halted at AWE for safety upgrades

2:46pm Thursday 1st May 2008

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WORK on live nuclear missiles at the Atomic Weapons Establishment (AWE) has been halted until safety improvements have been made.

The Nuclear Installations Inspectorate (NII) is not satisfied that the risk of an accident is "as low as reasonably practicable" (ALARP) at the Burghfield facility, and is monitoring improvement work on the site.

It was subsequently agreed by AWE and NII to suspend all live nuclear work.

The shortfalls were revealed in the inspectorate's Periodic Review of Safety, which also identified a number of areas where potential work is needed - including improvements to three safety mechanisms, devices and circuits facilities, and to warning notices in two separate facilities.

Rachel Whybrow, AWE media and publications officer, said that during the latest safety review, AWE told the NII about a number of shortfalls against modern standards in the assembly/disassembly facility at the Burghfield site, and that AWE had agreed a programme of remedial work with the NII to address concerns.

These improvements relate to the building, electrical and mechanical services and process equipment, and include a new compressed air system, vacuum system and electrical systems.

She added: "Additionally, as a responsible operator, AWE also informed the regulator last year that it would carry out no live nuclear work at the facilities until the agreed remedial work had been completed."

She said that the safety of operations at the Burghfield site has at no time been in question and that the work on live missiles at the site will continue once the remedial work is complete.