British defense group BAE Systems has been ordered to improve safety measures at its shipyards. In October last year, a major fire broke out at the Barrow-in-Furness shipbuilding base, which is responsible for building the next generation of nuclear submarines for the Royal Navy.
Recently, the Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR) issued an enforcement notice to BAE Systems Marine, requiring it to take measures to improve shipyard safety by September 12 to ensure “the protection of workers in the event of a fire.”
The mandatory notification stems from a fire incident at BAE Systems Marine’s shipbuilding base in Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria. Built 40 years ago, the base is renowned for its submarine construction and is currently building Britain’s most advanced nuclear-powered Astute-class and Dreadnought-class submarines.
In the early morning of October 30, 2024, a major fire broke out at the Barrow-in-Furness shipyard. At the time of the incident, about 200 shipyard workers were working the night shift. According to reports at the time, the fire started at the Devonshire Dock Hall, the largest facility operated by BAE Systems Marine and the second largest indoor shipbuilding complex in Europe.
The ONR investigation found that five shipyard employees entered the dangerous area of the Devonshire Dock Hall facility while the fire was raging, resulting in two employees being hospitalized for smoke inhalation. Fortunately, there were no fatalities in this accident, and the two injured employees were discharged from the hospital on the same day and returned to work.
According to the accident investigation results, BAE Systems had management deficiencies that led to employees entering dangerous areas without receiving appropriate safety instructions, resulting in employee injuries. Essentially, the company lacked fire safety education and did not inform employees of the necessary actions to take in the event of a fire.
In response, ONR has issued an enforcement notice to BAE Systems, stating, “During the enforcement notice period, we will continue to work with BAE Systems Marine to ensure that positive measures are taken to address this deficiency.”
It is understood that BAE Systems is responsible for building a new generation of submarines for the British Royal Navy. It has delivered five “Astute” class submarines, and another two submarines named “Agamemnon” and “Agincourt” are under construction. This class of submarines has a full load displacement of 7,400 tons and is 97 meters long. It is the largest and most advanced attack submarine ever built by the British Royal Navy.
The Dreadnought-class submarines are also being built by BAE Systems, with construction of the first two submarines already underway at the Barrow-in-Furness shipyard. These submarines will replace the Vanguard-class submarines when they enter service in the early 2030s.
To ensure the delivery of the Dreadnought-class submarines, BAE Systems has invested over £1 billion (approximately US$1.34 billion) in advanced technology and infrastructure upgrades at the shipyard. The company also plans to invest an additional £450 million (approximately US$603 million) over the project’s lifetime.
Currently, approximately 10,000 people are involved in the construction of the Dreadnought-class and Astute-class submarine projects at the Barrow-in-Furness shipbuilding base.