The Compensation Scheme for Radiation Linked Diseases (CSRLD) is a joint initiative between the UK's nuclear-sector employers and their trade unions.  The Scheme is designed to provide an alternative to legal action for past and present employees of participating employers who have been exposed to radiation during their work and who are subsequently diagnosed to be suffering from cancer or cataracts.  It has had a successful year and is continuing to process cases.

The scheme has been in existence since 1982 and the participating employers have expanded since its inception to include: Sellafield Ltd, Springfields Fuels Ltd, United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority, URENCO UK Ltd, Urenco Chem Plants, URENCO Nuclear Stewardship, EDF Energy Nuclear Generation Ltd, Magnox Ltd, the Ministry of Defence, AWE plc, Babcock Marine (Devonport Royal Dockyard) Ltd, Babcock Marine (Rosyth Royal Dockyard) Ltd, Babcock Marine (Clyde) Ltd, GE Healthcare Ltd, Low Level Waste Repository (Drigg), Dounreay Site Restoration Limited and other related Specified Companies.

The nuclear-sector employers, Nuclear Decommissioning Authority and the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) are fully supportive of the Compensation Scheme which provides nearly complete coverage of the UK nuclear industry employees.

The participating trade unions and staff associations are the Civil Nuclear Police Federation, the FDA, GMB, Prospect, UNITE (incl Union of Construction, Allied Trades and Technicians), UNISON and the Defence Police Federation.

Cases which can be considered under the scheme are assessed by the application of technical criteria jointly agreed between management and trade unions. The applied criteria are more generous to the claimant than those likely to be used for a legal action. The CSRLD contains further generosity in that it awards payments for cases with a causation probability of 20% or above. In a court case a claimant must prove a causation probability of 50% where an ‘all or nothing’ approach based on the balance of probabilities is applied.

In line with a commitment to ensure that the scheme reflects the latest scientific and technical knowledge, new schedules were implemented in 2009 based on the findings of the BEIR Vll and UNSCEAR reports of 2006. (Changes in science can result in increases or decreases in causation probability). At this time the reports of 2009 continue to present the best available basis for the Scheme’s assessment methodology. Following this introduction, a review was commenced of all previous cancer and (after 2011) cataract cases and awards made where payment thresholds were passed and eligible consent was received, these proceedings are now nearing completion.

The Scheme’s Technical Working Party continues to maintain a watching brief on technical developments with the last meeting held in March 2021.

The Scheme continued to operate during the response to the Covid pandemic although difficulties were encountered at times accessing records which impacted timescales for completing case assessment.  Following a review conducted during lockdown, a simplified claims process was introduced in September 2020 which has seen improvement in completion timescales of cases with low causation probability.

Like many organisations the Scheme utilised video conferencing applications during 2021 which has enabled a full programme of meetings to be held, this initiavtive and others are being reviewed so that useful practice can be adopted.

33 new claims were received in the 2019/20 financial year and 17 new claims were received in the 2020/21 financial year.

During this reporting period, 2 claims proved to be successful and are under negotiation and 1 settlement was negotiated and completed.

There have been 1710 cases considered/received since the Scheme began. 163 of these cases have resulted in successful claims. To date compensation payments amounting to >£8.90m have been paid to claimants.

Information about CSRLD is available to interested parties via our website (www.csrld.org.uk).  The website is designed primarily to provide relevant guidance to potential claimants (and others acting on their behalf) but also provides contact information for those seeking further information.

For further information please contact:-

The Compensation Scheme Executive Secretariat

Sellafield Ltd.

Seascale

Cumbria CA20 1PG

Tel 019467 74716

June 2021