The Nuclear Decommissioning Authority

Capenhurst sets the safety standard

20 August 2008

Capenhurst’s “Safety First” initiative is attracting a lot of attention not only from other NDA sites but from outside of the nuclear industry as well.

Mike Baily, who is responsible for Quality, Environment, Health and Safety at the site said they have presented the initiative to the first national Occupational Safety and Health conference as well as to the NDA’s Health and Safety conference.

“Demolition is the most hazardous activity within the construction industry sector which itself carries the highest risk of any industrial activity. We are very proud of what we have achieved,” he said.

He listed the major activities at the site as work on dismantling, decontaminating and disposing of facilities; the storage of uranic materials and the demolition of nuclear facilities. With an impressive record of having achieved 1,030 days without a lost time accident as well as a third RoSPA Gold medal award the site is sure to attract attention from elsewhere.

He said since 2001 they site have decontaminated and demolished buildings and facilities on an area equivalent to 19 football pitches of buildings. A total of 12,103 tonnes of contaminated waste – equivalent to 328 double decker buses – has been disposed of.

Within the context of all that work, the site decided it needed to look at its health and safety practices.

An off- site meeting was arranged for all of the safety representatives to look at how practices on the site could be changed. They were empowered to decide what needed doing and supported in developing a plan of action.

One of the safety reps, David Upton, (who sadly died last year), suggested he and his colleagues should take the lead and ownership of the changes.

Mike Baily recalls:
“People really wanted to engage and get involved. We asked them to come up with a list of activities that would improve safety at the site.”

They received an incredible 700 improvement suggestions. Many of them involved making things simpler.

There were a number of “quick wins”. One of the most successful was changing the hazard reporting system. A simplified system meant people who saw something hazardous on the site could fix it if possible or report it using a special phone number. As a result of the change up to 70% of hazards reported were fixed within 24 hours.

The site’s Behavioural Safety Observation Reports system was not “pocket” friendly. So the system was incorporated onto the Hazard reporting card. As a result the number fo reports went up one hundred fold to about four a week compared to between two and four a year.

Mike Baily said: “The improvements came from getting staff to believe that they can make a change.”

The Safety Representatives organised Environmental Walk Arounds for people from across the site to help get a rounded view from all sectors. They also gave talks on the Safety First programme to site visitors.

Mike Baily said the initiative had changed the culture on the site to of recognising that “together we can make a difference”. He said it was one based on mutual respect.

The next steps are maintain the benchmark and to learn from others. They also want to adapt the programme into the site’s environment and security areas and of course to have another 1,000 days without a lost time inquiry.