Nuclear regulator serves safety notice on Cheshire operator
The Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR) has served an improvement notice on Urenco UK (UUK) after shortfalls were identified in compliance with transport regulations.
ONR issued the enforcement action after carrying out inspections related to a request from UUK to validate a package design used for the transport of enriched uranium.
ONR inspections revealed that UUK, a supplier of enrichment services and fuel cycle products, based at Capenhurst, Cheshire, had not undertaken sufficient checks before shipping to ensure that the correct legal requirements and competent authority approvals had been met.
ONR served the improvement notice on UUK under The Carriage of Dangerous Goods and Use of Transportable Pressure Equipment Regulations 2009.
There were no consequences to the public or the environment as a result of these shortfalls.
Nick Blackburn, Principal Inspector from ONR’s Transport Competent Authority, said: “We identified a series of shortfalls relating to this international transport of packages containing enriched uranium.
“All companies involved in the transport of Class 7 dangerous goods, including all sub-contractors within a scheduled operation, must ensure their legal provisions to provide this service are compliant with current legislation.
“We will engage with Urenco UK Ltd during the period of the improvement notice to ensure positive progress is made to address the shortfalls.”
UUK has until May 31, to comply with the improvement notice by reviewing its management system to ensure that the legal provisions are met before each shipment of any package transporting Class 7 dangerous goods.
