THE nuclear industry's watchdog has confirmed that Sellafield has now complied with an enforcement notice served on them, following 'shortfalls' detected in a fire alarm and detection system on site last year.

The Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR) said that shortfalls were identified in the fire alarm and detection system at the legacy First-Generation Magnox Storage Pond facility (FGMSP).

The notice was issued on November 15, 2022 after ONR inspections identified the shortcomings, which led to Sellafield Ltd taking the decision to suspend operations at its FGMSP facility.

Since ONR issued the enforcement notice, Sellafield Ltd has installed a new fit-for-purpose wireless fire alarm and detection system in the FGMSP, replacing the previous ageing system.

This will provide the required standard of cover and operation while a project to design a new fully embedded hard-wired system is completed.

The use of the wireless system is both innovative and efficient, offering an enhanced degree of protection compared to the previous fire alarm and detection system.

A Sellafield Ltd spokesman said: “Safety and security are our overriding priorities at Sellafield.

“Following an engineering review, the fire detection system in the First Generation Magnox Storage Pond (FGMSP) was deemed inadequate.

“All operations were paused, all non-essential personnel were restricted from entering the facility, and enhanced surveillance was carried out while maintenance and repair of the system took place.

“We worked through a recovery plan, in consultation with ONR, to bring the facility back into operation in a phased approach.

“This work included fixing the current fire detection system faults, the subsequent installation of a wireless system, and enhanced mitigation measures such as fire risk assessments and improved access controls.”