A company has been fined £16,000 for putting a worker at risk of exposure to radiation at a Ministry of Defence (MoD) site. 

Gemini Technology was prosecuted for breaching health and safety regulations after an employee was called to work on an irradiator at a calibration facility in Gosport. 

The equipment, based at the MoD site on Crescent Road, required maintenance after a high-activity Caesium-137 source had become stuck in an unshielded position.

But a court heard how the worker was put at risk of exposure to 500 milliSieverts (mSv) per hour.

In the UK, the average person is exposed to a dose of 2.7mSv every year which means it would take 185 years to absorb that amount naturally.

Doses over 100mSv can lead to a change in red blood cells and even small doses of radiation can lead to an increased risk of developing cancer longer term.

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The remediation work took place on September 7, 2018 and involved removing the top of the machine’s shielded housing, raising the radioactive source and manually rotating a carousel which contained a number of radioactive sources.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that Gemini Technology had been working with ionising radiation for a number of years and is a recognised brand within its industry.

However, it had not formally consulted a suitable radiation protection adviser, as required, and had not undertaken sufficient risk assessments of the work it was carrying out.

It had also not identified and implemented appropriate control measures to manage the risk of exposure to ionising radiation, potentially putting employees at risk.   

The company based at Wellington Industrial Estate, Basingstoke Road, Reading later pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 and Regulation 9(1) of the Ionising Radiations Regulations 2017.

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Appearing at Portsmouth Magistrates Court on September 15, the company was fined £16,000 and ordered to pay £25,000 towards court costs.

HSE specialist inspector of radiation Karen Fuller said the regulations exist to "protect those at work from ionising radiation and other people who could be affected by this type of work". 

She said: "All companies working with ionising radiation must properly assess the risks to their employees, and others, to ensure that they take all steps necessary to restrict exposure.

"It is essential that they consult a competent radiation protection adviser to facilitate this.

"Only then can they be confident that any exposure to ionising radiation is kept as low as reasonably practicable.

"This situation could so easily have been avoided by properly considering the risks involved, identifying the required control measures, and ensuring safe working practices were put in place.

"Companies should be aware that HSE will not hesitate to take appropriate enforcement actions against those that fall below the required standards."