§ Mr. Emeryasked the Secretary of State for Employment whether he will list for 1965, 1970, 1973, 1976 and the latest available date within the nuclear power industry the figure of accidents for fatal, serious and non-serious accidents as a percentage of the number of individuals employed and the comparison of these accident rates with workers in the coal industry and agricultural workers.
§ Mr. John Grant,pursuant to his reply [Official Report, 1st February 1978; Vol. 943, c. 166], gave the following information:
I am advised by the Chairman of the Health and Safety Commission that the relevant information in the form available and in terms of numbers of persons involved is as follows:
the Authority's internal records which cover absences of more than one day. The percentage of "other" accidents also includes radiation exposures exceeding prescribed limits.
Fatal and serious accidents in coal mining are reportable under the Mines and Quarries. Act. Non-reportable accidents are taken from information supplied to the Executive by the National 719W Coal Board, and they involve absences from work of more than three days.
Fatal accidents in agriculture are reportable under the Agriculture (Safety, Health and Welfare Provisions) Act. "Other" accidents are notified to the Executive by the Department of Health and Social Security and are based on notifications of absences of more than three days made under the National Insurance (Industrial Injuries) Act.
§ Mr. Emeryasked the Secretary of State for Employment whether he will list in each of the last 15 years within the nuclear power industry the number of (a) fatal accidents caused by radiation and the number of individuals involved, (b) serious accidents caused by radiation and the number of individuals involved, and (c) non-serious accidents caused by radiation and the number of individuals involved.
§ Mr. John Grant,pursuant to his reply [Official Report, 1st February 1978; Vol. 943, c. 166], gave the following information:
I am advised by the Chairman of the Health and Safety Commission that the relevant information in the form available is as follows:
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Number of persons involved (a)(b) These would be occurrences reportable to the Health and Safety Executive under the Nuclear Installations (Dangerous Occurrences) Regulations 1965 and earlier legislation and, in the case of nuclear installations operated by the UKAEA, under equivalent arrangements None (c) Accidental radiation exposures exceeding the maximum permissible quarterly limits laid down in conditions attached to nuclear site licences or in the Ionising Radiations Regulations of the Factories Acts:— 1963 15 1964 14 1965 30 1966 15 1967 10 1968 19 1969 24 1970 17 1971 19 1972 20 1973 32 1974 28 1975 16 1976 19 1977 11 The figures refer to the nuclear installations operated by the UKAEA, the generating boards and British Nuclear Fuels Ltd. (BNFL) which, until April 1971, was part of the UKAEA. UKAEA data on radiation exposures prior to the introduction of the Ionising Radiations Regulations have been obtained from the Authority's health physics records. Long term health effects which might be associated with exposure to radiation have not been included. Also radiation exposures from sources such as industrial radiography equipment at nuclear installations during construction are not included.