Aug12017

News story: Sellafield incident report – powder spillage (14 June 2017)

HM Government

While carrying out analysis work in a Sellafield site laboratory, a worker spilled approximately 1kg of depleted uranium trioxide powder while moving a container.

The material is not harmful unless ingested or inhaled.

The correct safety procedures were followed and the immediate area was evacuated before returning to normal service on the same day.

Health checks confirmed the worker suffered no ill effects.

An internal investigation is being carried out.

The event has been rated 1 (anomaly) on the International Nuclear Events Scale

Sellafield is regulated by the Office for Nuclear Regulation and the Environment Agency

See details of incidents at Sellafield before 1 August 2017

Aug12017

News story: Sellafield incident report – powder spillage (14 June 2017)

DEFRA

While carrying out analysis work in a Sellafield site laboratory, a worker spilled approximately 1kg of depleted uranium trioxide powder while moving a container.

The material is not harmful unless ingested or inhaled.

The correct safety procedures were followed and the immediate area was evacuated before returning to normal service on the same day.

Health checks confirmed the worker suffered no ill effects.

An internal investigation is being carried out.

The event has been rated 1 (anomaly) on the International Nuclear Events Scale

Sellafield is regulated by the Office for Nuclear Regulation and the Environment Agency

See details of incidents at Sellafield before 1 August 2017

Aug12017

Corporate report: Coal Authority sustainability report 2016-17

DEFRA

The Coal Authority’s vision to be a ‘world leader in resolving the impacts of mining’ requires them to operate both sustainably and responsibly. This report provides details of their performance over the past 12 months and their responsibilities as a global citizen for the long term sustainability of our planet and future generations.

Aug12017

Company sentenced after worker loses hand

HSE

A soft toy filling company was sentenced for safety breaches after a worker suffered life changing injuries.

Sheffield Magistrates’ Court heard the worker lost his left hand as a consequence of being drawn into an unguarded carding machine on 8 March 2016. The injured worker was attempting to clear a blockage in a carding machine.

The carding machine had a flange attachment for connecting pipework to the machine at the discharge chute in order to supply loose fibre to a single toy filling machine. However, the flange and pipework were left off to allow the carding machine to discharge into a wooden enclosure to supply three toy filling machines with loose fibre. Consequently, a spiked roller located inside the discharge chute was unguarded and accessible during operation.

The worker affected had entered the wooden enclosure and was clearing loose fibre from the discharge chute to free a blockage in the machine. The spiked discharge roller was still rotating and grabbed his left hand, drawing him into the machine and severing most of his fingers. The worker was airlifted to hospital where surgeons amputated his hand from the wrist due to the seriousness of his injuries.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) prosecuted the firm over the incident.

The Stuffing Plant Ltd (TSP) of Whitelea Grove Industrial Estate, Mexborough pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2 (1) of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and was fined £35,000 with £2486 costs.

After the hearing, HSE inspector Eddy Tarn commented: “This man’s life changing injuries could have been prevented if a suitable and sufficient planning had been completed and the correct control measures were identified and implemented.

“The consequences of leaving off the flange and discharge pipework were foreseeable and could have easily been prevented.”

Notes to Editors:

1. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is Britain’s national regulator for workplace health and safety. It aims to reduce work-related death, injury and ill health. It does so through research, information and advice, promoting training; new or revised regulations and codes of practice, and working with local authority partners by inspection, investigation and enforcement. www.hse.gov.uk
2. More about the legislation referred to in this case can be found at: www.legislation.gov.uk/
3. HSE news releases are available at http://press.hse.gov.uk
4. Please see the link below to the page on HSE’s website that is the best guide to doing it the right way:
www.hse.gov.uk/work-equipment-machinery/puwer.htm

Journalists should approach HSE press office with any queries on regional press releases.

Aug12017

EIB provides EUR 105m loan to Junta de Castilla y León to support SME growth in the region and to finance investment in transport and rural tourism infrastructure

EU

The European Investment Bank (EIB) and the Junta de Castilla y León have signed two new loans for a total of EUR 105m to support SMEs in the Castilla y León region and finance investment in transport and rural tourism infrastructure. This amount is in addition to the more than EUR 2bn the EU bank has provided to the region since 1989 with the aim of driving economic growth and job creation via projects concerning roads, water supply and sanitation, hospitals, the environment and other areas.

In concrete terms, the EIB has granted a EUR 75m loan to the Castilla y León Institute for Business Competitiveness (ICE, the new name for the former Innovation, Financing and Business Internationalisation Agency, ADE), while another EUR 30m loan has been provided to the Castilla y León Public Sector Infrastructure and Environment Company (Somacyl).

Innovative Growth Plan

The EIB resources directed to the Institute for Business Competitiveness (a body under the responsibility of the Ministry of the Economy and Finance) will be used to finance projects promoted by SMEs and midcaps with participating loans or share capital contributions. These will mostly be channelled via the ADE Capital Sodical SCR company, but could also be granted directly.

This financing comes under the Junta’s Innovative Growth Plan for businesses in Castilla y León, and will make it possible to help projects supporting the competitiveness of SMEs and the consolidation of midcaps in the region, thereby promoting economic growth and job creation. The funds provided by the EIB will be allocated to projects needing total investment of up to EUR 12.5m for SMEs and up to EUR 25m for midcaps, with the aim of seeing innovation help them grow.

This initiative is expected to benefit between 50 and 150 companies known for being leaders in research or innovation and that are embarking on a transformation of their production systems using Industry 4.0 technologies, or that are introducing new management models resulting in process efficiency gains. It will also be possible to finance projects surrounding the launch of internationalisation strategies, such as those including training or human resources programmes or dual vocational training.

SMEs and midcaps in Castilla y León that receive these funds will be able to benefit from “soft” loans thanks to the favourable conditions provided by the EIB, both in terms of maturities and interest rates. This financial support will mobilise an estimated EUR 400m in investment and will make it possible to create and maintain around 8 000 direct jobs in the region until 2020.

Rural tourism infrastructure and public transport

The loan signed between the EIB and the Public Sector Infrastructure and Environment Company will provide EUR 30m to finance investments connected to public transport and sustainable rural tourism in Castilla y León.

Regarding transport infrastructure, the EU bank resources will help to modernise and refurbish bus stations, improving accessibility and service quality for the 60 million passengers using them every year.

Somacyl will also use these funds to develop projects in the rural tourism sector, with the objective of increasing the number of visitors and the length of their stays. In concrete terms, the EIB financing will be allocated to building recreational public infrastructure including viewpoints, via ferratas, cable cars, toboggan runs and hiking trails; promoting new tourist accommodation via the refurbishment and repurposing of exceptional buildings; and setting up more camp sites around areas of special natural interest.

The work for this new infrastructure will last until 2020, creating an estimated 900 jobs during the construction phase and 100 more permanent positions in the operational phase.