Airline Suit Work Restarts In Redundant Laboratories At Dounreay
4th June 2021
Airline suit work has restarted at Dounreay after more than a year's delay caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Wearing an airline suit is cumbersome and the wearer needs to be dressed and undressed by a dedicated team of helpers who then provide support throughout the task. Work was put on hold in March 2020 when the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in social distancing being introduced, and the safety of Dounreay's workforce became of paramount importance. Now, as restrictions are being lifted, the site is able to restart projects where hazardous conditions require the wearing of airline suits.
The team that has been decommissioning the redundant low level effluent treatment plant is supporting the refresher training of their colleagues. Project Manager Mick O’Donnell said:
They are supporting the practical airline suit training by running through the physical training, including the use of tools, to simulate the arduous working conditions that you would have when doing physical work in an airline suit.
Project Manager Jason Simpson’s team is decommissioning the redundant laboratories in the Fuel Cycle Area (FCA). Much of the work is carried out in airline suits due to the radiological hazards in the cluster of 40 cells designed to analyse and test materials used in reactors and reprocessing plants.
Jason explained that before the work restarted, the team went through the airline suit refresher training and procedures were updated to take account of the changed conditions caused by the COVID-19 virus. He added:We are grateful for the help of other departments, who delivered the refresher training and revisited the safe systems of work to ensure all safety aspects of the work had been considered.
The latest laboratory to be cleaned up is Lab 103. Although it is one of the smaller laboratories, the operators still size reduced and removed over 40 bins (approximately 8 tonnes) of waste and redundant equipment from the laboratory.
Becky Ruddy, Head of FCA Decommissioning, said of the teams recent return to airline suit work:Jason, Mick and the wider teams have worked extremely hard to develop a safe way of working which incorporates COVID-19 requirements as well as all the other requirements we need to consider as part of any decommissioning project on a daily basis.
This hard work and determination has enabled us to resume progress against our company mission of working together to responsibly deliver the Dounreay programme efficiently and effectively. Well done and thanks to everyone involved.
Related Businesses
Related Articles
The Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA), in collaboration with its subsidiary Nuclear Waste Services (NWS), has awarded two contracts to establish an innovative partnership for the enhanced management of asbestos waste. The Asbestos Innovation Partnership (AIP) will work with the NDA, NWS and the supply chain, to test and develop new solutions to treat asbestos waste, helping to deliver efficiencies and enable more effective waste management.
Workers at the Dounreay nuclear power complex in Caithness have voted to strike in a dispute over pay. The GMB union said its ballot had an 85% turnout.
Land is to be acquired by government to underpin nuclear revival. In a historic day for the UK's energy security, Great British Nuclear (GBN) is buying land for new nuclear development from Hitachi at both Wylfa in Ynys Môn/Anglesey and Oldbury-on-Severn in Gloucestershire.
GAD has built a pension benefit modeller to support the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority as it undertakes a pension reform programme. The Government Actuary's Department (GAD) has supported the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) as it undertakes a pension reform programme.
NRS Dounreay and socio economic partners hosted the second FIRST® LEGO® League Challenge North Highland Tournament in March with local schools taking part. The North Highland tournament took place in March at ETEC on the University of the Highlands and Islands (UHI) North West and Hebrides Thurso Campus.
Unite the union confirmed around 450 of its members employed by Magnox Limited based at Dounreay power station are being balloted for strike action in a pay dispute. The ballot which is now open will close on 2 April.
This week, the NDA group hosted it's first ever large-scale graduate recruitment event in Manchester, with over 600 candidates in attendance. The Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) group held its first ever large-scale graduate recruitment event in Manchester this week, bringing together more than 600 candidates as it looks to double the number of opportunities across its graduate schemes this year.
The NDA Draft Business Plan sets out key activities and expected progress for all 17 of the NDA's nuclear sites over the next 3 years. We want to hear from anyone who has a comment on any aspect of this document.
NRS is delighted to announce that we are recruiting over 30 level 2 - 6 engineering and business apprentices to deliver our decommissioning mission. John Vickerman, Chief People Officer, commented: "NRS is an exciting place to be.
Leaders from the UK's Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA), and the Korea Radioactive Waste Agency (KORAD) signed their second cooperation statement. Yesterday, Monday 20 November 2023, leaders from the UK's Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA), and the Korea Radioactive Waste Agency (KORAD) reaffirmed their commitment to share their knowledge, experience and technology in relation to the management of radioactive waste.