DRS told to improve on nuclear material handling shortcomings

Direct Rail Services (DRS) has been served an improvement notice after finding a subcontractor was not registered to work with radioactive material.

DRS regularly moves Class 7 dangerous goods including flasks containing irradiated fuel between EDF’s gas-cooled nuclear reactors and nuclear plants at Sellafield, but temporarily suspended trains in November 2024.

The company stopped movements itself and notified the Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR) of the non-compliance. The subcontractor had not performed suitable risk assessments of provided adequate staff training.

While there was no harm caused to the public or environment, ONR found “various pieces of legislation had been, and continued to be, contravened by DRS and its subcontractor for the duration of the contract award”.

“ONR’s enquiries concluded that DRS had an inadequate management system for the procurement of nuclear services and their supply chain management revealed shortfalls relating to auditing and surveillance activity that failed to identify that its subcontractor was not compliant,” the regulator said.

The improvement notice was issued in February, prompting an appeal by DRS which was later withdrawn. The operator has until August 31 to comply with the notice.

ONR Transport Competent Authority Inspector, Russell Bowden, said DRS was “in contravention of the law” as well as several regulations.

He added: “Our enquiries revealed that DRS’s management system had wider shortcomings in relation to procurement of nuclear services and failings with their processes for supply chain management and incident management and reporting.”

In response, a spokesman for Nuclear Transport Services (that owns DRS), said the firm “identified some shortfalls within supply chain practices” and notified the regulator in November last year, leading to the notice being issued.

“Whilst there were no consequences to public safety or the environment as a result of these shortfalls, we take our regulatory obligations seriously and are fully committed to meeting the highest standards expected by our regulators, customers, and stakeholders.

“We have already taken steps to strengthen our internal processes, and we will continue to work with ONR to ensure we comply with the improvement notice.”