So, in July 2007, there were these two contractors working at the Sellafield nuclear plant in North West England. They were drilling through a concrete floor in a nuclear waste storage facility that was being converted into offices.
They were wearing protective masks and suits, and had equipment to monitor radiation levels.
When two radioactive ‘hot spots’ were detected, the men decided to keep working. One of the men removed his mask.
One of the pair received a dose of radiation of 17 milli-sieverts. The statutory annual dosage limit is 20.
Mark Bassett, the UK Health and Safety Executive’s (HSE) superintending nuclear inspector, said: ‘Although the radiation doses in this case were below the statutory dose limits, they could potentially have been higher. They should have been zero.’
The operating company Sellafield – which is jointly owned by Amec, AREVA and URS Washington – was fined £75,000 in the ensuing court case which delivered its verdict last week. The consortium was also ordered to pay £26,000 in court costs.
Amec, Areva and URS Washington operate Sellafield under the consortium name Nuclear Management Partners Ltd. Last year it was awarded the contract to operate Sellafield for up to 17 years. The contract is worth £22 billion.
So, that’s a £101,000 penalty over a £22,000,000,000 contract. We’re sure Nuclear Management Partners Ltd felt suitably chastised as they handed over 0.00046% of their money. Mark Bassett of the HSE described the punishment as ‘relatively high’. That’s quite some exaggeration. He must think ants are ‘relatively enormous’.
– from greenpeace.org, telegraph.co.uk