There are no fundamental safety weaknesses in the UK’s nuclear industry but lessons can nevertheless be learnt from the Fukushima disaster to make it even safer.
 
This is the overall conclusion of the final report on the implications for the UK of what happened to nuclear-power stations in Japan in the wake of the earthquake and tsunami that hit the country in March this year.
 
In the report, published today (11 October), Mike Weightman, HM Chief Inspector of Nuclear Installations and executive head of the Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR), suggests 38 areas that government, industry, and regulators should review to learn lessons from the Japanese crisis. These include: reliance on off-site infrastructure, such as the electrical-grid supply in extreme events; emergency-response arrangements; layout of plant; risks associated with flooding; planning controls around nuclear facilities; and prioritising safety reviews.
 
Dr Weightman said: “I remain confident that our UK nuclear facilities have no fundamental safety weaknesses. The Office for Nuclear Regulation already requires protection of nuclear sites against the worst-case scenarios that are predictable for the UK. But we are not complacent. Our philosophy is one of continuous improvement. No matter how high our standards, the quest for improvement must never stop. We will ensure lessons are learned from Fukushima. Action has already been taken in many cases, with work under way to further enhance safety at UK sites.”
 


Welcoming the report, Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) director-general Tom Foulkes said the nuclear industry could now move forward with the planned new-build programme with renewed confidence. He added: “Weightman’s review has rightly set the standards high for UK nuclear, putting the onus on industry to strive for continued improvements in safety and risk assessment. Ensuring these lessons are understood at every level of delivery is crucial to minimising project risks.
 


“ICE will be playing its part in meeting this challenge through its ongoing ‘Nuclear Lessons Learnt’ programme, helping to capture lessons not only from Fukushima but from past projects across the world to ensure safer, more efficient delivery of nuclear power in the UK.”  


Dr Weightman's report, requested by the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, Chris Huhne, within days of the earthquake and tsunami that crippled the Fukushima Dai-ichi plant, was published in interim form on 18 May. Since then, Dr Weightman has drawn on national and international expert opinion, and led a fact-finding mission to Japan in June – including a visit to the Fukushima Dai-ichi plant – to compile a thorough analysis of the evidence that has emerged to date.


Japanese earthquake and tsunami: Implications for the UK Nuclear Industry is available at www.hse.gov.uk/nuclear/fukushima/ Mike Weightman also explains the findings of his report in a video at www.hse.gov.uk/nuclear/fukushima/final-report-video.htm