High-hazard low-risk initiative
The UK Health and Safety Executive has launched an initiative to stimulate dialogue between low-risk high-hazard industries. The nuclear industry was well represented at a London event also populated by chemical and oil & gas executives.
The UK Health and Safety Executive launched an initiative today to stimulate dialogue between low-risk high-hazard industries. The nuclear industry was well represented at a London event also populated by chemical and oil & gas executives.
Introducing the 'Leading from the top - avoiding major incidents' event, Judith Hackitt, chair of the HSE, said the day was about learning lessons. But not the hard way by having an accident yourself, but the easy way by learning about another company's experiences.
Representing HSE as the overall safety authority for the UK and the umbrella body above specialist regulators such as the Nuclear Installations Inspectorate (NII), she said that the "challenges in any hazardous facility are neither new nor unique" and that the various high-hazard industries are "much more alike and have much more in common than you think." She concluded: "If nothing changes as a result of the discussions today – it will be more than a pity, it could well be a tragedy."
The HSE chief executive, Geoffrey Podger, appealed to the 200 assembled executives from the UK's various hazardous industries to lead from the top and set the example that safety is their own top priority - by actions more than by words. It was noted that the absence of small conventional accidents was not a true assurance that all safety-relevant processes were working correctly.
Nuclear leadership
The nuclear industry was well represented by Mike Weightman, head of the NII; Ian Roxburgh, chief executive of the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority; and Bill Coley, CEO of British Energy. All the delegates took part in afternoon workshop sessions.
Coley took the stand to explain his own stance at BE and his quest for excellence in nuclear operations. His talk pointed out to delegates that the nuclear industry has been actively sharing experience since the Three Mile Island accident of 1979.
Although nobody was hurt in that incident and the impacts off-site were trivial, the effect on the global nuclear industry was severe with cancelled reactor orders and regulatory increases. However, another result was the commitment by US nuclear operators to share experience which resulted in the Instititue of Nuclear Power Operations (INPO), a CEO-led initiative to make sure no preventable accidents on that scale ever happened again.
INPO was later complemented by the World Association of Nuclear Operators (WANO), which took a similar role at a global level when it was realised that the 1986 Chernobyl disaster could have been prevented by, among many other things, more sharing of experience internationally.
Underlining the nuclear industry's position as a leader in safety thinking, Coley explained the methods he has used while 'turning around' British Energy from a time when investment in facilities was lacking and staff levels were not as high as he might have hoped.
According to all the speakers, the keys to establishing the correct safety culture in any high-hazard facility are to establish an open no-blame culture, combined with accountability at all levels. Employees should know what is expected of them and have a clear 'line of sight' to the board, which itself should be fully aware of any risk issues in the business. Employees who demonstrate excellence in their work should be rewarded.
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