Staff at the Dounreay Fast Reactor in Caithness have achieved a remarkable milestone – 13 years without a lost time accident, or 4,748 days of safe working.
The former reactor was the first fast reactor in the world to provide electricity to a national grid.
As the decommissioning work to take apart the reactor progresses, maintaining a flawless safety record is an achievement that the DFR team is extremely proud of.
Ken Heider, reactors project director, said: “Decommissioning DFR is one of the most significant challenges in the UK today.
“We have a highly-skilled and professional workforce. Our safety record is a huge achievement and reflects the commitment of the team.
“It requires a continuous focus on safety by both DSRL and its contractors. Safety is in the forefront of everything we do.
“Staff at all levels are directly involved in the planning of work, to ensure that our methods are safe and efficient.
“This ensures all the team have a thorough understanding of the procedures and share their knowledge, identifying safety concerns as they arise in the pre-planning phase.
“Decommissioning hazardous plants over half a century old brings with it many challenges and maintaining a safe working platform to do this is essential.
“I commend my colleagues for leading the way in creating a positive DSRL safety culture and helping us in our aim to become Europe’s centre of decommissioning excellence.”
Dounreay is being decomissioned at a cost of £1.6bn in a job expected to last until at least 2030.