A year after smoke was seen coming from the Devonshire Dock Hall in Barrow prompting a major incident, the investigation into its cause continues.
Flames and smoke were seen emerging from the complex where the UK’s new multi-billion-pound Dreadnought and Astute submarines are being built in the early hours of October 30.
Fire crews from Lancashire joined colleagues from Cumbria to tackle the incident.
Two people were taken to hospital with suspected smoke inhalation and later released after treatment.
At the time, BAE Systems said the emergency services response to the fire had prevented significant damage to the shipyard and the submarine units inside.
However the incident did mean construction was limited.
BAE Systems confirmed it wasn’t until January, two months after the incident, that all staff could return to the hall.
A BAE Systems spokesman said: “The Devonshire Dock Hall is fully operational and all teams returned to work in the facility in January this year.
“We remain fully committed to delivering our submarine programmes for our Royal Navy customer as quickly, safely and efficiently as possible.”
An investigation by the Office for Nuclear Regulation, the body that monitors the work of the UK’s nuclear industry, led to the issuing of an enforcement notice.
The ONR’s enquiries found that five employees entered an area in the Devonshire Dock Hall facility when the fire was still in progress, resulting in the two employees taken to hospital for treatment.
Enquiries concluded that the licensee’s arrangements for ensuring workers did not enter places of danger without the appropriate safety instructions were inadequate.
There was also a lack of guidance to inform staff of their required actions in the event of a fire.
The ONR served the enforcement notice under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, specifically Article 15(1)(c) and Article 8(1)(a) as part of its role to protect society by securing safe nuclear operations.
“Since issuing the enforcement notice we have worked closely with BAE Systems,” Bruce Archer, the ONR’s head of propulsion sites regulation, said.
“We are satisfied that they have complied with the notice to demonstrate they have suitable emergency arrangements in place to protect workers in the event of a fire.”
An Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR) spokesman added: “As part of our ongoing engagement with BAE Systems, we will monitor the improvements made by the licensee alongside information we gather from our regular site visits to help inform the frequency of our future inspections.”
However what caused the fire has still not been made public. Cumbria police is continuing to investigate the incident. The force said officers were liaising with a number of parties and organisations.
Meanwhile it has been reported the Royal Navy’s First Sea Lord has instigated a review to improve the operational readiness of the UK’s Barrow-build submarine fleet.
Defence Eye this month reported that lengthy patrols by Vanguard-class submarines and a lack of availability of Astute-class submarines was causing concern.
