Damning report on safety breaches at ANSTO’s Lucas Heights nuclear reactor
They pay lip service to safety, but they actually do nothing. There’s been many accidents and incidents that they have not reported or investigated.
Report slams Australian nuclear reactor Australian Broadcasting CorporationBroadcast: 08/02/2011 Reporter: John ThompsonA confidential report obtained by the ABC shows that Australia’s only nuclear reactor has under-reported accidents and breached safety precautions.Transcript ALI MOORE, PRESENTER: A confidential report into Australia’s only nuclear reactor has delivered a damning assessment of its safety practices and called for a complete overhaul of its radio-pharmaceutical operation.The Comcare report obtained by the ABC has found the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation, or ANSTO, has under-reported accidents and breached safety standards.
ANSTO could face fines of hundreds of thousands of dollars, and tonight, Lateline has been told of another much more recent safety breach. John Thompson has our exclusive report…..
DAVID REID, WHISTLEBLOWER: They pay lip service to safety, but they actually do nothing. There’s been many accidents and incidents that they have not reported or investigated.JOHN THOMPSON: David Reid is the former health and safety officer for ANSTO Health that makes the radiopharmaceuticals. He’s worked at Lucas Heights in Sydney’s south for nearly 30 years.
On Lateline last year, he blew the whistle on a series of safety incidents.
DAVID REID (May, 2010): If you don’t follow the safety regulations and the procedures and you don’t investigate when you do have an accident, the accidents are going to get worse and worse and someone’s really going to pay the ultimate price one day.
JOHN THOMPSON: The nuclear industry regulator ARPANSA backed up Mr Reid’s concerns, finding serious problems in safety standards and a lack of management awareness about the difficulties and failures of the facility.Australia’s workplace health and safety regulator, Comcare, has been called in to investigate the incidents. Lateline’s obtained a copy of its report. It goes even further, finding that ANSTO has breached health and safety laws.
It says ANSTO did not take all reasonable steps to provide and maintain a safe working environment. It didn’t take all reasonable steps to inform, instruct, train and supervise ANSTO Health employees. It failed to comprehensively risk assess its radio pharmaceutical production process and it failed to notify Comcare of safety incidents.
SCOTT LUDLAM, GREENS: The workers there are being forced to work with substandard equipment. When they’re reporting breaches and reporting accidents and spills in there they’re being treated incredibly badly and management are trying to bury the story. And that doesn’t give us great confidence at all about the operations of that whole facility.
JOHN THOMPSON: The Comcare report also expresses grave concern about ANSTO’s treatment of Mr Reid, who’s been suspended for nearly two years now after bullying allegations were made against him.
It says Mr Reid’s suspension was somewhat extreme and Mr Reid was substantially denied procedural fairness.
Lateline – 08/02/2011: Report slams Australian nuclear reactor
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Zoom webinar – “Nuclear Winter: The Environmental Consequences of a Nuclear Exchange.”
April 7th at 11:30 am PST / 2:30 pm EST
Nuclear Winter: The Environmental Consequences of a Nuclear Exchange”
Join us for an informative webinar with renowned atmospheric scientist, Professor Brian Toon, as he discusses the environmental risks and global impacts of a nuclear war. Despite the potential damage caused by the blast from even small nuclear weapons, many countries continue to invest in and expand nuclear arsenals. Professor Toon will provide a scientific assessment of civilian fatalities, agricultural failures, climate concerns, and complications with food supply that would follow any international nuclear conflict. We need to plan how to prevent nuclear conflict and avoid catastrophe. Politicians and military planners must be made aware of global climate and agricultural complications that would ensue. Don’t miss this opportunity to learn from, and engage in, this vital conversation
The Road to War brings a sharp focus to why it is not in Australia’s best interest to be dragged into a war with China which will almost inevitably go nuclear very quickly. The filmmaker has interviewed some of Australia’s senior foreign policy analysts who have vast experience behind them in analysing what really is going on here as the United States rattles its sabres with China. And sets us up to be its proxy, like the poor Ukranians have been fed into the Meatgrinder. So America can remain the Top Dog. The Road to War reveals how the United States through its spy base at Pine Gap and by stationing six nuclear capable B52 bombers in the Top End (without permission from the traditional owners) is making Australia a prime nuclear target if the current war of words suddenly melts down into full scale war.
The Road to War shows the implicit connection between Carbon emissions (the US military uses a whopping 70% of America’s annual petroleum to move its armies and vast War Machine around the globe to its 800+ military bases..but under a loophole wangled at Kyoto, the US military does not have to report its C02 annual emissions). The Road to War starts screening at selected cities and regional centres in March. See the trailer end for details.
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