Devonport Royal Dockyard Ltd (DRDL) has been fined £666,667 and ordered to pay costs of £27,611.82 after it pleaded guilty in July to offences under Regulation 8 of the Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998.
In 2018, during a lifting operation to disassemble a stack of test weights, the weights became detached and fell towards a worker, narrowly missing him.
The Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR), the UK’s independent nuclear safety regulator, led the investigation.
Jane Bowie, Head of Propulsion Sites Regulation for ONR, said: “The prosecution of Devonport Royal Dockyard Ltd follows an investigation by ONR into an incident in September 2018 where a worker narrowly escaped serious injury. I welcome Devonport Royal Dockyard Ltd’s decision to plead guilty which is recognition that it has fallen short in its duty to protect its workers.
“The incident was avoidable and Devonport Royal Dockyard Ltd should have had appropriate safety procedures in place to prevent it from happening. ONR’s role is to hold the industry to account on behalf of the public and we do that using a range of enforcement action, including prosecutions.
“Devonport Royal Dockyard Ltd continues to be under enhanced regulatory attention and we will continue to monitor its progress through regular inspections.”