A national trade union has called on the government to act on 'serious safety concerns' regarding a major Cumbrian nuclear site.

The GMB union called on the government and nuclear authorities to take ‘urgent action’ to address concerns over safety at Sellafield.

It’s written to the energy minister, the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA), as well as Sellafield’s chief executive to demand more money be invested into making sure that the 11,000 workers at the site are safe.

It comes after a report by the Guardian newspaper earlier this month, in which a series of concerns about safety were laid bare.

The Guardian said that sources ‘familiar with risk reports at the site’ said they showed over 100 safety issues were a ‘matter of serious regulatory concern’.

These include things like fire safety deficiencies, due in part to an alleged lack of functioning alarms in parts of the site that contain radioactive matter.

The Guardian added that there were work stoppages in the past at Sellafield because of there not being enough suitably qualified staff trained in nuclear safety, and rising numbers of contamination and radiation protection incidents.

GMB national secretary Andy Prendergast said its members at Sellafield were raising concerns about various problems for years.

These included a “lack of training and competence among staff, inadequate safety procedures and a culture of fear and intimidation”.

“GMB has repeatedly raised concerns over safety and staffing levels, which are mainly due to turnover and the age and demographic of the workforce,” he wrote.

In his letter to Claire Coutinho, secretary of state for energy security and net zero, which was also sent to Sellafield’s chief executive, Euan Hutton, and the NDA chief, David Peattie, Prendergast called for “urgent action to address these concerns”.

A Sellafield spokesperson said: “Safety is our overriding priority at Sellafield. We are proud of our safety record and we are always striving to improve.

“Our chief executive officer Euan Hutton has worked closely and collaboratively with our site-based trades unions, including GMB, throughout his tenure.

“None of the issues detailed in this letter have been raised during this engagement in the terms described.

“It’s also important to note that our independent regulator has confirmed historic cultural issues have not led to unsafe activities at Sellafield.”

They added that the number of ‘safety professionals’ on-site grew in recent years, and disputed data the GMB included in the letter, adding that they have an open door policy with trade unions on site.