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Rutherford Building Independent Inquiry.

25 Sep 2008

Professor David Coggon to head Independent Review.

During the summer, the University was sent a copy of a Report on "Possible health risks due to ionising radiation in the Rutherford Building (formerly Coupland Building 1) at The University of Manchester" produced by John Churcher, Don O'Boyle and Neil Todd, former members of staff from the School of Psychological Sciences. This Report has received some coverage in the Media in recent weeks. 

Representatives from the University have discussed the Report produced by Mr Churcher and Drs O’Boyle and Todd with the Health and Safety Executive and the University has accepted the authors’ main recommendation that it establish an Independent Review to examine the issues raised in the Report. 

The University of Manchester has now engaged Professor David Coggon OBE MA PhD DM FRCP FFPH FFOM FMedSci to lead this Independent Review. Professor Coggon is President of the Faculty of Occupational Medicine and is based at the Medical Research Council's Epidemiology Resource Centre at the University of Southampton. Professor Coggon is an expert in the epidemiology of occupational and environmental causes of disease. The University has commissioned the Health Protection Agency (HPA), an accredited external body, to assist Professor Coggon's Review.

For the benefit of current staff and students, it is important to state that the majority of the Rutherford Building was refurbished in 2004 and the University has detailed documentation that shows levels of radon pre- and post-refurbishment. All measurements for radon pre-refurbishment were below occupational exposure limits and post-refurbishment levels are no different to the natural background levels of radon around us in this area of Manchester. On the basis of this evidence, representatives of the University have met with the current occupants of the Rutherford Building and the neighbouring Psychology Annex to reassure them that it is safe to work in these buildings.

The findings of the external review will be made openly available. Current and former members of staff and students and other interested parties will have the opportunity to feed specific queries and concerns into the Review process and these should be sent in the first instance to:

  • Dr David Barker, Head of Compliance and Risk, John Owens Building, University of Manchester, M13 9PL or email: review@manchester.ac.uk

For further information on how the inquiry will be conducted, please download the following document: