WEST Cumbrian engineering and consultancy firm Safety Critical has been taken over.

The Cleator Moor business was set up by Kurt and Rebecca Canfield in 2011 to provide safety design and safety case management services for the process, nuclear, and oil and gas industries.

Its new owner is Nuvia, a Cheshire-headquartered nuclear contractor with an office in Westlakes Business Park in Moor Row and staff on site at Sellafield.

It has 2,700 staff worldwide, including 912 in the UK, as well as an annual turnover of more than €350m (almost £315m).

It works on the Sellafield and Low Level Waste Repository (LLWR) on projects such as turn-key design and build, consultancy, option studies, safety case preparation, waste management, land remediation, as well as decommissioning and radiation protection.

Nuvia’s chief executive Keith Collett said he was delighted with the development.

He said: "This acquisition complements our strategy within the nuclear sector and beyond; Safety Critical’s specialist skills will augment our current engineering and consultancy services and further develop our offer to nuclear and highly regulated industrial sectors.

"We are particularly impressed with the quality of service Safety Critical provide; it is clear that we share core values in innovation and client care which makes the acquisition an excellent fit.

"Together we will continue to develop an integrated offer to clients, whilst continuing our commitment to the development of the nuclear supply chain, being part of our wider socio economic agenda," he added.

Mr Canfield, Safety Critical's managing director, echoed these comments. "Nuvia is a significant player in the nuclear industry, with its supporting capability and capacity it will significantly aid and grow the business," he said.

"It is a perfect fit for us, Nuvia, our partners and vitally our clients."

Safety Critical's former sister companies iControls and Innoflow Solutions have not been taken over and remain division of Mr Canfield's company Atticism Holdings.