TRAINING & RECRUITMENT | ENHANCING SITE SAFETY
Advanced training and site safety
All workers at industrial facilities should be able to give emergency care in the event of an accident. In nuclear installations, the skill requirements are even higher, making first aid training for all staff a vital consideration
By: Steven John Cumper,
B.App.Sc., founder and Manageing Director, Medshop Group
THE DANGERS FACED BY THOSE working in a nuclear facility are unlike those in any other profession. That means the skills and knowledge needed to respond to injuries in the workplace are specialised, and it is critical that all staff are adequately prepared to respond to emergencies. In most jurisdictions, regulatory authorities are
responsible for workplace health and safety such as Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) in the USA. However, for the nuclear sector the additional safeguarding measures required often bring further regulatory scrutiny from bodies like the Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR) which is the regulating body that oversees nuclear safety in the UK. This entity aims to minimise safety risks in nuclear facilities, and it assesses and provides guidance to the country’s nuclear sites. The ONR works closely with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), which has published accepted safety guidelines for nuclear facilities. Nuclear power plant industrial safety practices, accidents and near miss events are routinely reviewed as part of IAEA’s Operational Safety Review Team (OSART) missions which feed back to the safety guidelines. The overarching philosophy, as noted by the IAEA, is operating experience and research have shown that good industrial safety practices at nuclear facilities during all phases of their life cycle is correlated with superior performance. This performance is shown through an excellent nuclear safety culture and better cost and schedule performance.
Still, accidents happen in the workplace, and it’s
important that all staff are ready to respond appropriately when they do. First aid training is the most practical way employees can prepare for injuries at work. In nuclear facilities, as with other industrial sectors, the potential workplace injuries for employees can be a matter of life and death. Advanced first aid training for staff can help ensure that any injuries are stabilised immediately while waiting for emergency services to arrive on site. Staff should therefore not only have a clear grasp of why first aid knowledge is so crucial, but also the specific dangers and risks that may result in workplace injuries, and the most important aspects of first aid training for any specific role. As the IAEA notes, workers at nuclear facilities such as
nuclear power plants, fuel fabrication facilities or waste processing and storage sites can be subject to a number of industrial health and safety risks. Such facilities can contain hazardous processes and materials such as hot steam, harsh chemicals, electricity, pressurised fluids and mechanical hazards. Workers can be exposed to these and other hazards during normal duties (including slips, trips and falls, driving accidents and drowning). Another particular concern for the nuclear sector is public perception of the industry. Industrial safety accidents, along with their direct impacts on the individuals involved, can also negatively affect the image of nuclear facilities and their general acceptance by the public.
Right: Given the specific risks involved with working in a nuclear facility understanding how to address these injuries when they happen is critical
30 | August 2024 |
www.neimagazine.com
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