Sellafield 'must improve' after lead oxide release
ONRWorkers at the UK's largest nuclear site were put at potential risk when a harmful substance was unintentionally released, a watchdog has said.
The Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR) issued Sellafield, in Cumbria, with an enforcement notice after lead oxide was detected at the site's First Generation Magnox Storage Pond (FGMSP).
The regulator said staff spotted flexible lead sheeting - used to shield staff from radiation exposure - that was in a degraded condition, posing a potential risk from the release of lead oxide.
Sellafield said it happened in the oldest part of the site, which was a "highly controlled environment" with low numbers of people. No-one was harmed.
"Access to the affected area was immediately stopped, an investigation was initiated, and our regulator was informed," a company spokesman said.
Lead oxide is not a radioactive substance but can be harmful if ingested, inhaled or absorbed, the ONR said.
It added further enquiries had identified other degraded flexible lead shielding sheets across other areas of the site.
A ONR spokesman said: "Sellafield Ltd should establish procedures for conducting routine visual inspections of these sheets and ensure timely repairs to maintain operational standards."
A Sellafield spokesman said "additional controls" were already in place to prevent workers coming into contact with the lead.