Devonport nuclear sub dock faces 'safety breach' prosecution
BBCA dockyard is facing prosecution over health and safety breaches at a dock where a £200m refit of a Royal Navy Trident submarine is taking place.
The Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR) says Devonport Royal Dockyard breached crane regulations on 19 September 2018 when a weight narrowly missed a worker.
The alleged offence happened at 9 Dock where HMS Vanguard has been berthed since 2015. No-one was injured.
The case is due to open on 23 July at Plymouth Magistrates Court.
HMS Vanguard has been berthed at Devonport for a four-year refit and an unscheduled refuelling with a new nuclear core.
The ONR, which inspects nuclear facilities, said that the alleged offence happened "during a lifting operation to disassemble a stack of test weights".
It said the weights "became detached and fell towards a worker, narrowly missing him".
There were "no radiological consequences", it added.
An ONR spokesperson said: "For legal reasons we are unable to comment further on the details of the case."
Crown Copyright/Tam McDonaldHMS Vanguard
- Launched in 1992
- One of four Vanguard-class submarines that form the UK's strategic nuclear deterrent force
- The others are HMS Vengeance, HMS Vigilance and HMS Victorious
- All are based at Royal Naval Base at Faslane, Scotland
- Nuclear-powered
- Armed with Trident nuclear missiles
- Refit and refuel started in 2015 at Devonport Dockyard
