UK nuclear regulator starts legal proceedings against Sellafield Ltd

LONDON (Reuters) - Britain's Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR) has started legal proceedings against Sellafield Ltd over an alleged health and safety breach at its nuclear processing site earlier this year, the watchdog said on Friday.

The charge relates to an incident on April 24 when a Sellafield employee sustained injuries while working on high voltage electrical equipment.

The incident was a conventional health and safety matter and there was no radiological risk to workers or the public, the ONR said.

Sellafield is on the coast of Cumbria, northwest England. Activities at the site include nuclear fuel reprocessing, nuclear waste storage and nuclear decommissioning, and it is a former nuclear power generating site.

Sellafield Ltd is owned by the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority, which said it was unable to comment as the matter is the subject of court proceedings.

The first hearing is scheduled to take place at Carlisle Magistrates Court on Dec. 18, the ONR added.

(Reporting by Nina Chestney; Editing by Mark Potter)