UK Atmospheric Nuclear Testing Programme

Between 1952 and 1958 the UK conducted a total of 21 atmospheric nuclear tests in Australia and at islands in the Pacific Ocean. In addition, a number of minor trials were also conducted in Australia between 1953 and 1963. UK personnel also participated in US nuclear weapons tests based at Christmas Island in 1962. Over 20,000 UK service personnel and civilian scientists were involved in the tests.

British Nuclear Test Veterans - Health Needs Audit

In September 2010, the Ministry of Defence commissioned Miles and Green Associates to carry out an independent Health Needs Audit relating to British Nuclear Test Veterans. A copy of their report was published on 27 Ocober 2011 and can be found in the Related pages link on the right hand side of this page.

Health and Safety

The trials were planned with meticulous care and the health and safety of test participants was of the utmost importance. Hazards from ionising radiation and radioactivity were well understood and controlled and dosimetry measurements were of a standard which would be acceptable today.

Prior to each detonation all personnel were mustered and accounted for. At the time of burst, all personnel not on essential duties were mustered outside, away from trees or buildings susceptible to blast damage, facing away from the point of burst with their eyes closed - this offered protection from flash-blindness. Protection from heat, air-blast and ionising radiation effects was assured by maintaining a sufficient distance from the point of detonation.

Selected personnel, including those handling the device or those responsible for decontamination of cloud testing aircraft, were provided with film badges in order to monitor their exposure. Despite confidence in the precautions taken to prevent fallout on Christmas Island, an extensive programme of environmental monitoring was performed after each test. This confirmed that no significant fallout had occurred direct from a UK detonation.

Epidemiology

There is no evidence of excess illness or mortality amongst the veterans as a group which could be linked to their participation in the tests or to exposure to radiation as a result of that participation. In response to the health concerns of some veterans, the MOD commissioned independent National Radiological Protection Board (now part of the Health Protection Agency) to study cancer incidence and mortality amongst nuclear test participants.

The last report, NRPB-W27 entitled "Mortality and Cancer Incidence 1952-1998 in UK Participants in the UK Atmospheric Nuclear Weapons Tests and Experimental Programmes", was published in 2003 and concluded that overall levels of mortality and cancer incidence among nuclear weapons test participants have continued to be similar to those in a matched control group, and for overall mortality to be lower than expected from national rates.

The MOD has every confidence in these independent studies, and therefore believe that there are no grounds for compensation to be paid to British nuclear test veterans. However, where individual veterans are able to produce reliable evidence to raise a reasonable doubt that their illness is related to their service, they are entitled to a War Pension.

Contact Details:

Pensions Compensation and Veterans

Level 6

MOD Main Building

Whitehall

London

SW1A 2HB

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UK Atmospheric Nuclear Testing Programme

British Nuclear Test Veterans - Health Needs Audit

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