15 September 2020 | 0 minutes read

ONR has advised AWE plc of its intention to prosecute

The Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR) has advised AWE plc of its intention to prosecute the company under Section 3 of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 in relation to an electrical incident which occurred on 20 June 2019. AWE has indicated a guilty plea to the Court and to ONR, with the formal plea to be entered at the sentencing hearing on 7 December 2020.

The incident happened during a pre-demolition survey of a facility on the company’s Aldermaston site, when a contractor came into contact with a live circuit. The contractor was unharmed and sought medical advice as a precautionary measure.

AWE has co-operated fully with the ONR’s formal investigation into the incident. This was a conventional health and safety matter and there was no radiological risk to workers or the public.

AWE is committed to improving safety performance across its sites and will continue to work closely with its regulators to achieve this.

We are unable to comment further at this time as the matter is subject to legal proceedings.

More news

Strategic Alliance Partners Conference hits the mark

Senior representatives from AWE, the Defence Nuclear Organisation (DNO), the National Centre for Universities and Business (NCUB) and the university community gathered at the recently held Strategic Alliance Partners Conference to discuss and debate areas of STEM that support our mission. The two-day event organised by the External Technical Partnerships Office brought together government, academia, […]

Features

28 Apr 2025

Strengthening International Ties

International collaboration is vital in strengthening national defence and nuclear security and despite the high levels of security involved, collaboration amongst allies is strong. At AWE, a dedicated team of experts, advisors and business managers govern regular exchanges with international partners to facilitate collaboration and cooperation, and support research and development in nuclear science and […]

Detecting the undetectable

At AWE Blacknest, experts in forensic seismology work behind the scenes to support the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT). Their mission? To detect and verify potential nuclear tests worldwide by analysing seismic data. Our seismologists play a key role in upholding global security and arms control through cutting-edge research, international collaboration, and advanced monitoring techniques.