Safety expert recognised in King’s Birthday Honours
Sellafield employee Rex Strong’s services to the civil nuclear industry recognised in The King’s first Birthday Honours List.
Dr Rex Strong, OBE
The title of ‘expert’ can often be given away easily, but there is perhaps no better description of Dr Rex Strong. In his 46-year career at Sellafield he worked his way from safety assessor to head of nuclear safety – with many roles in between – while also lending his expertise to the wider nuclear industry in the UK and beyond.
Indeed, it is his services to the civil nuclear industry that saw him named as an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the King’s first Birthday Honours list this weekend.
The award has arrived towards the end of Rex’s career: ‘I’m on what you might describe as a glide path to retirement.’
That career started when he joined British Nuclear Fuels as a safety assessor at Sellafield in 1977, a time when James Callaghan was the country’s Prime Minister, Donna Summer was sitting at the top of the charts with her hit ‘I feel love’, and you could buy a gallon of petrol for 78p.
Sellafield was becoming a subject of international interest and tension
When Rex joined Sellafield, the site’s primary purpose was to generate an income, via electricity generation at Calder Hall, and through national and international reprocessing contracts for the Thermal Oxide Reprocessing Plant (Thorp) and the Magnox Reprocessing plant.
He said:
Both of these operations were important to the country at the time – we helped to keep the lights on, and we made a significant amount of money for UK plc. That made Sellafield a vital asset to the UK, but internationally – particularly in Ireland and then in Norway - it was increasingly becoming the subject of interest and tension.
In Ireland I think that there was a fear of the site and its potential impact on the environment. As head of environment and with my scientific understanding of nuclear, I felt I could play a role in helping to allay those fears.
It was an incredibly rewarding experience. Of course, there was a certain amount of apprehension on my first visit to Ireland. I wasn’t going to talk to politicians on this occasion but to people in the community, so it was hard to imagine that I was going to face anything other than angry crowds. The reality was very different. Everyone I met was incredibly charming, they just wanted an opportunity to ask questions, to understand.
Sellafield offered a unique challenge
Did Rex imagine that a career in nuclear safety would take on to the international stage? He said:
If you’re asking whether I had a career plan, then no. By the time I’d finished my research degree in atomic physics at the University of Sussex I’d been in further education for a considerable amount of time and was ready for what you might call meaningful employment.
What Sellafield offered was a really unique challenge
The challenge was so compelling that Rex joined the Company after just one visit to the site, relocating his life from Sussex to West Cumbria, first to employee accommodation at Greengarth before he bought his first home in St Bees.
Working with Norway was a career highlight
Rex’s scientific background and experience in international engagement were called on again in the early 2000s to help deliver something he describes in retrospect as one of his career highlights. He said:
One of the radionuclides that we discharged into the sea at that time was Technetium-99 as permitted under our discharge authorisations.
Technetium-99 was then detected in the fish that the fishermen in Norway were catching and exporting. Fishing is a significant industry in Norway and although there were no detrimental health implications for people from the Technetium-99, we could see that its presence was having an impact on the industry.
We developed a chemical process that meant we could ‘capture’ the Technetium-99 in our effluent processes, meaning it would no longer be discharged to sea. We saw an immediate reduction in the presence of Technetium-99 in the marine environment.
Representing Sellafield in dialogue wasn’t always about ‘selling Sellafield’ – although I would always be an ambassador – it was about genuinely understanding what was concerning people and then looking to see if there was anything that could or should be done in response. It isn’t always possible of course, but in this case it was and it is something that I will always be proud to have been a part of.
In nuclear we are part of a global network
Rex’s expertise would be called on again in 2014 when he was called to be part of the Nuclear Safety Task Force, the oversight committee for the Fukushima clean-up, something he described at the time as privilege. He said:
As nuclear operators we are part of a global network through which we can all learn, develop and improve. It was an honour to be able to help the team as they tackled the aftermath of the tsunami at the Fukushima plant.
Rex’s honour is richly-deserved
Would he do it all again, or recommend the same career path for others? He said:
The nuclear industry has so much to offer in terms of a unique, challenging and interesting career, especially in the decommissioning side of the sector. My advice for anyone considering joining the mission: love the place you’re working and living in, passionately want to do the work, and be determined to make a difference.
After 46 years Rex is still very much part of the Sellafield team, and continues to bring immense value to the delivery of our purpose of creating a clean and safe environment for future generations.
This value is reflected by our chief executive officer, Martin Chown, who said:
I’d like to offer my personal congratulations to Rex on receiving an OBE in the King’s first birthday honours.
It is richly-deserved and recognises the many years of service and dedication that Rex has brought not only to delivering our purpose at Sellafield, but to the wider nuclear industry.
I have always personally relied on Rex for his advice and opinion, and I want to thank him for everything he has done for the industry