An investigation into a dropped fuel element incident at Chapelcross Nuclear Power Station. A report by HM Nuclear Installations Inspectorate

This report sets out the findings of the investigation into an incident at BNFL's Chapelcross Nuclear Power Station carried out by HM Nuclear Installations Inspectorate (NIl), part of HSE's Nuclear Safety Directorate. On 5 July BNFL reported that during routine defuelling activities on Reactor 3, a basket containing twenty-four low rated irradiated Magnox fuel elements had fallen a few feet within the discharge machine onto the door at the top of the fuel discharge well. This well is just over 80ft (24.4m) deep and is used to discharge spent fuel from the reactor. BNFL thought that the door was closed. Seven days later BNFL were able to deploy a remote TV camera into the discharge machine and this revealed that twelve of the elements were missing. Further remote inspection showed that although the discharge well door was fully closed the missing elements must have fallen past the door and down the discharge well into a water filled transport flask at the bottom. The investigation has found that no worker or member of the public incurred any harm from release of radioactive material. It has identified the likely cause of the event, and established that there was no deliberate attempt at deception with respect to reporting events or status of plant. The NIl investigation has produced several recommendations and BNFL has now implemented a programme to address these