A nuclear worker was taken to hospital after suffering chemical burns in an incident at Sellafield.

The worker was treated for chemical burns to the arms and hands, after coming into contact with an acid/water mixture while carrying out routine work at the Cumbrian plant.

The casualty was treated on site before being transferred to hospital.

A spokesman for Sellafield Ltd said: “The event has been reported as a ‘dangerous occurrence’ under the RIDDOR regulations.

“The incident did not involve any nuclear or radiological materials.

“An internal investigation is being carried out.”

The spokesman added that the worker was discharged from hospital within a couple of hours of being taken there.

The Health and Safety executive’s guidelines say several types of ‘dangerous occurrence’ require reporting, in circumstances where the incident has the potential to cause injury or death. 

The incident occurred last month in the Magnox reprocessing site area of Sellafield.