22/03/2013 - SELLAFIELD BEING SHUT AS A PRECAUTION

[BeardyMan]

Spotted this on the BBC news ticker

1247: More from Karl Connor, spokesman at Sellafield: "The shutdown has nothing to do with the work here at the site. This is purely a safety issue because of the high winds and snow, we want our 8,500 workers to go early and get home safely."

Seems a bit extreme - but if a bit of bad weather can shut down a nuclear power plant then what happens if there's a pandemic / fuel strike. I thought these things were designed to run autonomously? Looks like the power could go off a lot earlier than expected.....

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1228: Statement from Sellafield spokesman Karl Connor: "The site emergency control centre has been established and is managing the incident in line with well rehearsed procedures. We have implemented a phased early release of staff from the site; this is being carried out in a safe, controlled manner. There is no reason to believe that there will be any off-site nuclear, environmental or conventional safety issues associated with the incident. The priority for the team is to protect our workforce, the community and the environment."

[bigpaul]

yeah, still dont know if the new one at Hinckley Point will be built, apparently EDF are arguing with the govt over how much they will be paid for the electricity, the damn thing will take years to build and wont be online before about 2017, and their arguing about how much they get paid???

[Metroyeti]

More to this than meets the eye? Does seem odd sending staff home due to the weather, or im being paranoid?

[Bucket]

It's nothing to worry about power-wise. the higher-ups at Sellafiled are sending as many people as possible home now, before the big snow, as they don't want to pay out compensation when somebody from say, HR, slips, and phones one of those Ambulance Chasers R Us, and gets another multi-thousand payout.*

The place is going to be Ok over the weekend with its usual lot.

[I-K-E]

nothing to worry about just standard procedure to ensure staff safety when extreme weather hits

[Straight Shooter]

naarrrghh its ok....go back to sleep

[bigpaul]

poor little employess, little bit of weather and they get sent home early, NO WONDER THIS COUNTRY IS THE PITS, get some backbone!

[Scythe13]

This is pretty interesting. It's a hugely difficult situation to interpret.

If I was the boss, I'd be looking to have more staff around incase something did happen. However, if nothing was going to happen, then this would be seen as simply being over cautious and trying to satiate the unions. Bloody unions!!! haha.

It's a different kind of 'strange' this time. It's the type that suggests that something could well be going on that we're not being told about.

Hopefully it's not the kind of thing that will change how I'm living. A power shortage would be interesting, but not hugely effect us at the moment. Would make things more interesting though.

[Metroyeti]

Place hasmt had any reported leaks for a while,.i just dont trust power stations. Like sythe said I would rather have the extra staff. Getting time off for bad weather, I would love to be in a position were I could turn work down.

[bigpaul]

that is why i left Somerset-i dont trust nuclear power stations either!!