Response To Guardian News Reports On Nuclear Safety And Workplace Culture At Sellafield

7th December 2023

The Guardian has published claims about the safety of the oldest parts of our site as part of an ongoing series of reports.

The Guardian newspaper has been running a series of reports about Sellafield so here are links to a few before you read the government response.

Sellafield nuclear site hacked by groups linked to Russia and China

Dirty 30 and its toxic siblings: the most dangerous parts of the Sellafield nuclear site

Sellafield bottomless pit of hell money and despair at Europes most toxic nuclear site

Sellafield nuclear site workers claim toxic culture of bullying sexual harassment and drugs could put safety at risk

We're incredibly proud of our world class workforce and we do not recognise the opinion in the Guardian as truly reflective of the culture at Sellafield today.

Much of the Guardian’s commentary relies on the opinions of a former contractor Alison McDermott, who was contracted by Sellafield Ltd for a total of 21 days in 2018.

Her contract was legally terminated owing to performance issues. This was the judgment of the Employment Tribunal, which was later upheld on appeal.

We have been open about historical cultural issues and our focus on addressing them.

Our regulator has confirmed that there is no risk to public safety as a result of these issues.

Mental health and suicide are complex and affect people in all walks of life. Every suicide is a tragedy for all those touched by it.

We are not aware of any link having been made between working at Sellafield and an increased risk of suicide. No public authorities have ever raised a link between working at Sellafield and an increased risk of suicide. There is no evidence of unusually high prevalence of suicide among our workforce.

There are also references made to sexual assaults and harassment in the Guardian’s reporting. We have asked the Guardian for evidence to investigate as we are not aware of the specifics of these claims. The Guardian has not provided this. We urge anyone with knowledge of these claims to provide details so we can take action.


You can read the government response statement here:

There is no elevated risk to public safety as result of the issues reported by the Guardian.

We are fully open and transparent about the risks and hazards on our site. All of the issues referenced in the Guardian are known about and are being addressed with the support of our regulator.

We routinely publish updates on our website and share these for scrutiny at public meetings.

Our safety statistics are published every year in our annual review of performance

We continue to make progress in addressing the risks posed by our highest hazard facilities. For the first time ever, we are routinely removing legacy waste from all of our highest priority buildings, including two referenced by the Guardian.

The nature of our site means that until we complete our mission, our highest hazard facilities will always pose a risk.

As part of its ongoing series, we understand the Guardian is preparing to publish a report on workplace culture at Sellafield.

A number of allegations are likely to be raised. We have asked for more information so we can investigate and intervene as necessary, particularly if employees need targeted support. Evidence has not been provided.

You can read our response statement here:

We have been open about historic cultural issues and our work to address them.

Our regulator has confirmed these issues have not resulted in any increased risk to safety at Sellafield.

Work in this area prioritises health and wellbeing, diversity and inclusion, and eradicating bullying and harassment.

We have a comprehensive package of wellbeing and mental health support available to all employees.

This includes more than 300 trained mental health first aiders, an employee assistance line, and a mental health wellbeing app.

Diversity and inclusion training is now mandatory for all Sellafield employees and forms part of our induction. Our Dignity at Work policy is part of our terms and conditions.

There is no place for bullying and harassment at Sellafield. We do not tolerate it and where we find it, we take action.

Whistle blowers are respected, protected, and valued at Sellafield and we actively encourage employees to report matters of concern. Without exception, issues raised are taken seriously, investigated appropriately, and treated confidentially.

Any employees with concerns can raise them via our independently operated whistleblowing hotline, Safecall.

You can read the response to a news report on cyber security at Sellafield HERE