Report considers lessons of Fukushima for the UK

According to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) the report identifies 25 recommended areas for review — by either industry, the government or regulators — to determine if sensible and appropriate measures can further improve safety in the UK nuclear industry.

These include reviews of the layout of UK power plants, emergency-response arrangements, dealing with prolonged loss of power supplies and the risks associated with flooding.

The 26th recommendation calls for plans to be published by the middle of June detailing how each of these 25 matters will be addressed.

‘The extreme natural events that preceded the accident at Fukushima — the magnitude 9 earthquake and subsequent huge tsunami — are not credible in the UK,’ said report author Mike Weightman, executive head of the Office for Nuclear Regulation and the UK’s chief inspector of nuclear installations.

‘We are 1,000 miles from the nearest fault line and we have safeguards in place that protect against even very remote hazards. Our operating and proposed future reactor designs and technology are different to the type at the Fukushima plant.