Devonport nuclear sub dock faces 'safety breach' prosecution

HMS Vanguard

HMS Vanguard arrives at Devonport for a four-year £200m refit and refuelling

A dockyard is facing prosecution over health and safety breaches at a dock where a £200m refit of a Royal Navy Trident submarine is taking place.

The Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR) says Devonport Royal Dockyard breached crane regulations on 19 September 2018 when a weight narrowly missed a worker.

The alleged offence happened at 9 Dock where HMS Vanguard has been berthed since 2015. No-one was injured.

The case is due to open on 23 July at Plymouth Magistrates Court.

HMS Vanguard has been at 9 Dock since 2015

HMS Vanguard has been berthed at Devonport for a four-year refit and an unscheduled refuelling with a new nuclear core.

The ONR, which inspects nuclear facilities, said that the alleged offence happened "during a lifting operation to disassemble a stack of test weights".

It said the weights "became detached and fell towards a worker, narrowly missing him".

There were "no radiological consequences", it added.

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An ONR spokesperson said: "For legal reasons we are unable to comment further on the details of the case."

Crown Copyright/Tam McDonald

HMS Vanguard

  • Launched in 1992

  • One of four Vanguard-class submarines that form the UK's strategic nuclear deterrent force

  • The others are HMS Vengeance, HMS Vigilance and HMS Victorious

  • All are based at Royal Naval Base at Faslane, Scotland

  • Nuclear-powered

  • Armed with Trident nuclear missiles

  • Refit and refuel started in 2015 at Devonport Dockyard