Fugro Acquires 'Fit for Nuclear' Status

A Fugro manufacturing centre that specialises in marine geotechnics has met Nuclear AMRC’s (Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre) exacting marque of supplier competence for nuclear contracts.

The UK facility for over-water drilling and marine construction equipment gained Fit For Nuclear (F4N) status following rigorous assessment under the coveted supplier excellence scheme.

Recognising ‘nuclear excellence engagement and success’, the award assesses and scores suppliers in six key areas: Strategy and Leadership, Design and Project Management, People Excellence, Process Excellence, Health and Safety, and Quality Management.

News of the award was announced to delighted Fugro employees at the Falmouth (UK) site which designs, manufactures and operates bespoke marine drilling and construction rigs for nuclear and other infrastructure projects. Mark Adams, operations director at Fugro GeoServices Ltd, said, “The team must be commended for their attitude and commitment throughout the whole process. Following the initial site audit, they took on board all the recommendations and feedback to develop an action plan that delivered the level of excellence and continual improvement required by Nuclear AMRC. Achieving F4N status will give us opportunities to further showcase our in-house capabilities in a market that demands quality and expertise.”

The success follows an intensive eight month period of reporting and improvement of process and quality management to meet demanding performance thresholds in the six assessed areas. Approval included an on-site verification visit by an F4N assessor as well as a review of evidence of project experience within the nuclear field.

Fugro’s progression to F4N status was significantly boosted by its already high assessed scores, notably 100% for health and safety, and existing QM/QC accreditations. The latter include EN ISO 9001 (quality) system, ISO 18001 (health and safety), and ISO 14001 (environmental).

Martin Ride, nuclear specialist at the Nuclear AMRC, said, “Fugro made excellent use of Fit for Nuclear to further strengthen its services for the energy market. The team performed to an outstanding standard, developing and delivering a focused action plan to complete their F4N journey in just eight months. They understand the challenges and the commitment needed to work in the civil nuclear industry, and have proved themselves ready to work with key players in the UK’s new build programme."