AWE fined over contract worker's 415-volt 'near miss'

AWE admitted an offence under the Health and Safety at Work Act

The organisation that makes the UK's nuclear warheads has been fined £660,000 after a contractor narrowly avoided a 415-volt electric shock.

The "near miss" happened after a contractor at Atomic Weapons Establishment's Aldermaston site used a chisel on a live fuse box in an act posing "a significant risk of death".

High Wycombe Magistrates' Court heard "mixed messages" from AWE led to the incident in which no-one was hurt.

AWE plc admitted guilt over the breach.

Craig Morris, prosecuting, told the court the incident happened on 20 June 2019 when an asbestos removal contractor carried out work in a non-nuclear building believing it was entirely disconnected from electricity.

Describing the events in the switch room he said: "[His] chisel came into contact with a live conductor and he heard a loud bang.

"Fortunately he immediately dropped the chisel and jumped back so he had no injury at all and he didn't in fact sustain an electric shock."

'Deeply regrets'

The court heard the worker from firm Gully Howard had been given a form by AWE stating electricity had been disconnected in the building, despite there still being a live connection into the switch room.

James Maxwell-Scott, for the defence, told the court AWE "deeply regrets" the incident.

At no point was there a radiological risk to the workers or the public, the court heard.

AWE plc pleaded guilty to an offence under the Health and Safety at Work Act.

In a statement the Office for Nuclear Regulation - the UK's independent nuclear safety regulator who led the investigation - said the outcome "recognised that AWE plc fell short of it duty to protect the safety of a contractor working on site".

AWE plc was previously fined £1m after an employee suffered a minor burn due to an electric shock.