Sellafield Criticality

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Roger A Coleman

Dear Sellafield Limited,

Sellafield Criticality Detection

A criticality accident is an uncontrolled nuclear fission chain reaction.

Safety Critical

Sellafield has the very real potential of experiencing a criticality, with this in mind the design and operation is of safety critical plant should be exemplary.

A criticality accident can release potentially fatal levels of radiation, so it is vitally important that installed criticality detectors perform as intended, 100% of the time. There are strict protocols associated with evacuation procedures on the triggering of criticality alarms at Sellafield, and these rely on the initial detection and the reliable operation of the criticality detection system.

Central to everyone's safety, is immediate evacuation of the affected area, as your life may very well depend on your quick response and strict adherence to these protocols, in the event of a genuine criticality emergency.

Criticality detectors are safety critical devices, they need to be 100% functional, 100% of the time, and should never be tampered with by authorised personnel. Any malicious act, or tampering with such a device would be a sackable offence, and would be in contravention of the Site Operating License.

Incompetence or Potential Sabotage

Question: Can Sellafield Ltd confirm or otherwise, that a criticality detector, or detectors was recently discovered in the main reprocessing plant at Sellafield, which was found to be shrouded in lead, potentially rendering the criticality detector, or detectors, useless, thereby putting the Sellafield workforce at increased risk, and potentially putting personnel in danger of receiving a fatal dose of radiation in the event of a criticality?

Yours faithfully,

Roger A Coleman

Roger A Coleman left an annotation ()

Criticality detectors are safety critical devices, they need to be 100% functional, 100% of the time, and should never be tampered with by authorised personnel. Any malicious act, or tampering with such a device would be a sackable offence, and would be in contravention of the Site Operating License.

Correction: should read ' should never be tampered with by unauthorised personnel'

FOI Enquiries (SL), Sellafield Limited

Dear Roger,

I can confirm that during preparation for an inspection of the criticality detection system in the Magnox Reprocessing plant, an issue was identified.

An investigation and a programme of work is underway to address the issue and we are keeping our regulators fully informed.

Kind regards

Janice
Corporate Affairs
Sellafield Ltd
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Sellafield Ltd, a Nuclear Decommissioning Authority company, is registered in England and Wales, Company number 01002607. The registered office is situated at Hinton House, Birchwood Park Avenue, Risley, Warrington, Cheshire, WA3 6GR."