By Alan Irving

Published at 11:07, Thursday, 10 May 2012

SELLAFIELD’s fire and rescue service has been taken to task after failings in a recent exercise to see how they would cope with a nuclear site emergency.

It has led to an improvement notice being served on site operators Sellafield Ltd by the Office of Nuclear Regulation (ONR).

Questions about competency have been raised in the regulator’s criticism.

The shortcomings came to light recently during ‘Exercise Nightingale’ observed by two of ONR’s fire safety inspectors. They found “staffing levels, training and competency requirements fell short of relevant industry good practice”.

Attention is also drawn to a “failure to make a suitable and sufficient assessment of risks to identify the necessary staffing levels, training and competency requirements and operational preparedness of the Sellafield Fire and Rescue Service.”

Sellafield Ltd managing director Todd Wright said the improvement notice related to “a full assessment of risks that the fire and rescue service may face on the site”.

A plan for improvement was being developed for agreement with the regulators. Short-term issues were already being dealt with, he pointed out.

Under the terms of the notice, Sellafield Ltd must comply with the management of Health and Safety at Work regulations.

West Cumbria Stakeholders Group chairman David Moore, who also chairs its emergency planning sub-committee, said: “It has come as a concern. No doubt they were falling short of what was expected to provide adequate cover for the site. Emergency planning always plans for the unknown and worst-risk scenarios but it is something we want to see a swift conclusion to in order to give the necessary reassurance.”

A spokesman for Sellafield Ltd said: “The notice requires us to identify the measures required to improve the operational preparedness of the Fire and Rescue Service, and develop and implement an improvement plan in a timely manner.

“We are developing a plan to ensure sustained improvements in the Fire and Rescue Service and are committed to investing the time and resource to ensure we have a world-class service at Sellafield.

“We take the safety and welfare of our workforce, the site and the local community very seriously and aim to initiate our improvement plan immediately. We are working with our regulators to ensure our Fire and Rescue Service achieves and maintains the highest possible standards.”

Published by http://www.whitehavennews.co.uk