Sellafield workers have warned that a toxic culture of bullying, sexual harassment and drug use could have dangerous consequences for safety at Europe’s largest nuclear waste processing site.
An investigation by the Guardian found that the HR department at the Cumbrian nuclear facility has been accused of bullying and bribing employees who raised concerns about safety and their colleagues’ behaviour, while there have been reports of suicides linked to the pressures of working at the site.
Whistleblowers told the newspaper that there was a longstanding unhealthy working culture at Sellafield, which is one of the largest employers in the northwest of England with 11,000 employees.
A former young worker said he was repeatedly mocked by colleagues to the point where he considered suicide, while others claimed they had witnessed or experienced sexual assault.
It was alleged that some staff regularly brought cocaine onto the premises and kept samples of urine in case they were drug-tested.
It’s not the first time that allegations of a toxic working culture at Sellafield have emerged. In 2021, a letter leaked to the BBC made allegations of sexual harassment, racial abuse and homophobic bullying. At the time, Sellafield said it was committed to eradicating unacceptable behaviour.
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Whistleblower Alison McDermott, a former HR consultant at Sellafield who claimed she was dismissed in 2018 after raising concerns over Sellafield’s culture and sexual harassment, told the Guardian that the issues heightened the risk of accidents, mistakes and the threat of terrorism and sabotage.
She said: “The gravity of the bullying and harassment and the abuse employees were being subjected to was just really shocking and off the scale.
“Employees said to me that because it was not safe to speak out that they had learned just to keep their heads down and look away just to survive, but a survival mentality is not what you want at a nuclear plant because even one mistake, just one mistake, can set off a chain of reactions which could have catastrophic consequences – as we’ve seen with Chornobyl.
“Trust is the cornerstone, it’s the absolute bedrock of safety in any organisation – if employees are demoralised and scared to speak out or are being treated really badly then it will have a direct impact on safety.”
Some staff said they felt like they were in a “goldfish bowl”, where they felt unable to leave the site behind after their working day because of its prominence in the community.
A former employee said: “There is zero staff turnover, and often three generations of the same family are working on site. Everyone sees it as a job for life and it is a very insular community. When you are trying to change that mentality it is very difficult and challenging.”
In a statement responding to the allegations, Sellafield said: “We have been open about historic cultural issues and our work to address them. Our regulator has confirmed these issues have not resulted in any increased risk to safety at Sellafield.
“Work in this area prioritises health and wellbeing, diversity and inclusion, and eradicating bullying and harassment. We have a comprehensive package of wellbeing and mental health support available to all employees.
“Diversity and inclusion training is now mandatory for all Sellafield employees and forms part of our induction. Our Dignity at Work policy is part of our terms and conditions.”
It added that there was “no place for bullying and harassment at Sellafield” and would take action if it was found.
“Whistleblowers are respected, protected, and valued at Sellafield and we actively encourage employees to report matters of concern. Without exception, issues raised are taken seriously, investigated appropriately, and treated confidentially,” it said.
“Any employees with concerns can raise them via our independently operated whistleblowing hotline, Safecall.”
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