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ONR to prosecute Devonport Royal Dockyard Ltd

The Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR) has notified Devonport Royal Dockyard Ltd (DRDL) of its intention to commence legal proceedings against the company under Regulation 8 of the Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998.

The charge relates to an incident involving a crane that occurred on 19 September 2018 at the Devonport 9 Dock facility.  During a lifting operation to disassemble a stack of test weights, the weights became detached and fell towards a worker, narrowly missing him. This was a conventional health and safety incident and there were no radiological consequences.

The decision to prosecute follows an investigation into the incident by ONR, the UK’s independent nuclear safety regulator.

Proceedings are scheduled to commence at Plymouth Magistrates’ Court on 23 July 2019.

A spokesperson for ONR said: “For legal reasons we are unable to comment further on the details of the case as it is now the subject of active court proceedings.

"We will post updates on our website and social media channels as this case progresses.”