§ Mrs. Renée Shortasked the Secretary of State for Energy how many people working at Windscale were found to have been contaminated with radioactivity during the current year; if he will list the circumstances surrounding such contamination in each case; and what steps have been taken to ensure that there is no recurrence.
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§ Mr. Norman LamontI am advised that during 1979 British Nuclear Fuels Ltd.—BNFL—reported to the Nuclear Installations Inspectorate—NII of the Health and Safety Executive—HSE—11 incidents involving 52 workers at Wind-scale in which intake of radioactive substances or personal contamination was suspected. Detailed examination confirmed some intake or personal contamination in the case of 15 of the workers, but the resulting radiation doses for 14 of them were found to be within permissible limits. Investigation of the fifteenth has not yet been completed. Five other incidents were reported in which workers received no personal contamination but contamination of their clothing gave rise to radiation doses to the workers. Each contamination incident is fully investigated by BNFL with the object of determining the cause and minimising the possibility of recurrence. All such incidents and the results of investigations into them are reported by BNFL to the NII and the information is published quarterly in a statement by the HSE. Copies of the statements so far published for 1979 are available in the Library of the House.