Nuclear Site Licensing
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AWE Aldermaston and Burghfield are licensed under the Nuclear Installations Act.
This means that they are subject to the same regulatory controls that apply to the civil nuclear industry. In addition to our own stringent self-imposed safety procedures, the Nuclear Installations Inspectorate, part of the Health & Safety Executive, oversees all of our nuclear facilities.
The Health & Safety Executive, the Environment Agency and other independent regulatory bodies regulate our non-nuclear operations, and the Ministry of Defence (MoD) oversees our design of nuclear weapons and evaluates our performance as required by the 1991 AWE Act.
Prior to 1993, when AWE was operated by the MoD, AWE Aldermaston and Burghfield were Crown establishments and were therefore exempt from the licensing requirement. Following the shift to contractor-managed operations, the Secretary of State for Defence decided that Crown immunity should be lifted.
In preparing for licensing, AWE developed safety cases for every nuclear process and activity at both our sites. These examined the need for every individual operation, considered the possible consequences of errors, and assessed the risks to determine how they might be eliminated or reduced to as low a level as reasonably practicable.
In preparing for licensing, AWE developed safety cases for every nuclear process and activity at both our sites. These examined the need for every individual operation, considered the possible consequences of errors, and assessed the risks to determine how they might be eliminated or reduced to as low a level as reasonably practicable.
We are proud of the health and safety culture we have created at AWE. Nuclear Site Licensing has been an important step for us; we are subject to the full force of regulation and we have a safety system which is capable of being audited.
Our Nuclear Site Licence is essential for AWE, the MoD and the community, because it provides independent regulation, public accountability, and verification of our overriding commitment to safety.
Our Nuclear Site Licence is essential for AWE, the MoD and the community, because it provides independent regulation, public accountability, and verification of our overriding commitment to safety.
Further details of our environmental safety and health record can be found in the AWE Annual Report, our Quarterly Environment Reports, Assurance Reports, and our Public Information Leaflets - all of which can be found on our Publications section.
A link to the Nuclear Installations Inspectorate website can be found here:
A link to the Nuclear Installations Inspectorate website can be found here: