Release of information under EIR 2004 about events at nuclear power stations and Aldermaston reported to us over the last five years
Following a request under the Freedom of Information Act 2000, ND released information concerning INES-rated events, together with an explanatory note. Following a subsequent and separate request for details of all incidents at nuclear power stations (NPS) and AWE Aldermaston reported to us over the last five years, we have released the following additional information, together with a further explanatory note. The release is made under the Environmental Information Regulations 2004.
Power station sites
Please note that in the case of nuclear power stations, the details of a very large proportion of such events have already been placed on our website. This was in response to another, earlier question regarding all civil sites, which include nuclear power stations and which was put to us under the Freedom of Information Act 2000:
Here you will find the requested event details, together with an explanation of their regulatory context, source and descriptions. The explanation also covers the International Nuclear and Radiological Event Scale (INES), as well as our Fast Stream reporting and event screening systems, which should help you to understand the following explanation of which events are included on the website and which are not.
The events included on the website are those reported to us which have been rated by our civil nuclear licensees as level 0 or above on INES. The website includes relevant details of all INES-rated Fast Stream event data for civil sites reported from 2001 to September 18, 2009, together with other civil INES-rated event data reported from 2007 to 11 August 2009. However, as the associated explanation on our website makes clear, there are other event reports which were not relevant to the question asked of us and which consequently were not included in the listings. Consequently, and in order to complete the picture of event reports in relation to your own request, we have a) gathered together the details of similar reports for nuclear power stations, in order to complete the INES-rated record for 2009, and b) added the details of other reports received from nuclear power stations which were not given an INES rating but which, after screening for their safety significance, we still consider to have been challenges to nuclear safety systems, albeit that very many were quite minor ones. The resulting event details are included in the attached documents.
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AWE Aldermaston
The Aldermaston fast stream reporting system is less mature than that for civil nuclear sites, but we are satisfied that the general notification arrangements meet the requirements of the relevant regulations. We have provided information on events reported through the fast stream system supplemented by other available recorded events reported to us.
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General comments
Turning now to your request for details of events such as our response, action taken, length of fire etc. Unfortunately, we are unable to respond to your request for further details because these are spread across our three operating divisions and their very many operational files. At the moment, and in the absence of an appropriate database, each event would need to be followed up individually through the associated files for the particular site in question, which would take a considerable amount of time, given the number of events recorded. Nevertheless, and in order to help you further, our consideration of any particular event reported can lead to a number of responses which range from noting the circumstances but taking no further action, in cases where an event is judged to be relatively trivial in its nature, through to following up the associated issues as part of either a planned or reactive intervention on site and ultimately, mounting a formal investigation if the safety significance or circumstances warrant one.
It may help your understanding of our regulation further to know that our response to each and every event reported to us will depend on a number of factors, with each event being treated according to its own particular circumstances and details. We strive to be both consistent and proportionate in all our responses to events and our processes for conducting our planned regulatory interventions is explained in our internal procedure INS/008 and its associated guidance document G/INS/008.
The same principles are maintained in our consideration of the need for enforcement action through our application of HSE's Enforcement Management Model to the particular event in question, as set out in INS/30 and G/INS/030.
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NPS Other Screened Non INES-rated Reports 2007-2009
| Event date |
Site |
Event description |
| 1.1.99 |
Torness |
Non-compliance or inadequacy associated with arrangements made in the interests of safety |
| 30.1.07 |
Hinkley Point B |
Environment event regulated by the Environment Agency or the Scottish Environment Protection Agency |
| 2.2.07 |
Sizewell B |
Non-compliance with conditions and limits necessary in the interests of safety |
| 12.3.07 |
Hinkley Point B |
Environment event regulated by the Environment Agency or the Scottish Environment Protection Agency |
| 3.4.07 |
Hunterston B |
Environment event regulated by the Environment Agency or the Scottish Environment Protection Agency |
| 17.4.07 |
Dungeness B |
Environment event regulated by the Environment Agency or the Scottish Environment Protection Agency |
| 26.4.07 |
Oldbury |
Non-compliance or inadequacy associated with arrangements made in the interests of safety |
| 28.4.07 |
Dungeness B |
External event (including those not on a licensed nuclear site) |
| 1.5.07 |
Heysham 1 |
Environment event regulated by the Environment Agency or the Scottish Environment Protection Agency |
| 21.5.07 |
Wylfa |
Safety-related plant defect or degradation |
| 1.6.07 |
Hunterson B |
Automatic or manual reactor trip following plant anomaly |
| 2.6.07 |
Dungeness B |
Non-compliance with conditions and limits necessary in the interests of safety |
| 10.6.07 |
Hunterston B |
Automatic or manual reactor trip following plant anomaly |
| 19.6.07 |
Heysham 2 |
Automatic or manual reactor trip following plant anomaly |
| 8.7.07 |
Heysham 1 |
Safety-related plant defect or degradation |
| 9.7.07 |
Hartlepool |
Non-compliance or inadequacy associated with arrangements made in the interests of safety |
| 13.7.07 |
Hunterston B |
Automatic or manual reactor trip following plant anomaly |
| 31.7.07 |
Torness |
Non-compliance with conditions and limits necessary in the interests of safety |
| 23.8.07 |
Heysham 1 |
Automatic or manual reactor trip following plant anomaly |
| 31.8.07 |
Wylfa |
Automatic or manual reactor trip following plant anomaly |
| 5.9.07 |
Hartlepool |
Automatic or manual reactor trip following plant anomaly |
| 9.9.07 |
Heysham 1 |
Non-compliance or inadequacy associated with arrangements made in the interests of safety |
| 19.9.07 |
Wylfa |
Non-adherence to a safety-related procedure |
| 19.9.07 |
Hartlepool |
Safety-related plant defect or degradation |
| 25.9.07 |
Heysham 1 |
Smouldering / smoking material or fire |
| 2.10.07 |
Torness |
|
| 3.10.07 |
Wylfa |
Automatic or manual reactor trip following plant anomaly |
| 16.10.07 |
Torness |
Automatic or manual reactor trip following plant anomaly |
| 20.10.07 |
Heysham 1 |
Automatic or manual reactor trip following plant anomaly |
| 20.10.07 |
Torness |
Automatic or manual reactor trip following plant anomaly |
| 15.11.07 |
Hinkley Point B |
Safety-related plant defect or degradation |
| 15.11.07 |
Torness |
Automatic or manual reactor trip following plant anomaly |
| 21.11.07 |
Dungeness B |
Non-compliance or inadequacy associated with arrangements made in the interests of safety |
| 27.11.07 |
Hunterston B |
Environment event regulated by the Environment Agency or the Scottish Environment Protection Agency |
| 27.11.07 |
Hunterston B |
Smouldering / smoking material or fire |
| 5.12.07 |
Hunterston B |
Automatic or manual reactor trip following plant anomaly |
| 26.12.07 |
Chapelcross |
External event (including those not on a licensed nuclear site) |
| 30.4.08 |
Heysham 1 |
Environment event regulated by the Environment Agency or the Scottish Environment Protection Agency |
| 21.5.08 |
Chapelcross |
Environment event regulated by the Environment Agency or the Scottish Environment Protection Agency |
| 18.7.08 |
Trawsfynydd |
Radiation or contamination event affecting personnel |
| 19.2.09 |
Hartlepool |
Automatic or manual reactor trip following plant anomaly |
| 5.4.09 |
Heysham 1 |
Automatic or manual reactor trip following plant anomaly |
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NPS FS Screened Non INES-rated Reports for 2005
| Event Date |
Site |
Event description |
| 4.2.05 |
Heysham 1 |
Smouldering / smoking material or fire |
| 8.5.05 |
Dungeness A |
External event (including those not on a licensed nuclear site) |
| 30.5.05 |
Heysham 1 |
Lifting event with nuclear safety implications |
| 12.8.05 |
Chapelcross |
External event (including those not on a licensed nuclear site) |
| 16.9.05 |
Torness |
Smouldering / smoking material or fire |
| 6.10.05 |
Wylfa |
Flask or package movement or transport event |
| 13.10.05 |
Chapelcross |
Environment event regulated by the Environment Agency or the Scottish Environment Protection Agency |
| 24.10.05 |
Chapelcross |
Environment event regulated by the Environment Agency or the Scottish Environment Protection Agency |
| 30.10.05 |
Dungeness A |
Automatic or manual reactor trip following plant anomaly |
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NPS FS Screened Non INES-rated Reports for 2006
| Event Date |
Site |
Event description |
| 26.4.06 |
Dungeness A |
Automatic or manual reactor trip following plant anomaly |
| 25.5.06 |
Torness |
Non-compliance or inadequacy associated with arrangements made in the interests of safety |
| 30.5.06 |
Dungeness B |
Non-compliance with conditions and limits necessary in the interests of safety |
| 1.6.06 |
Sizewell A |
Automatic or manual reactor trip following plant anomaly |
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NPS FS Screened Non INES-rated Reports for 2007
| Event Date |
Site |
Event description |
| 26.3.07 |
Dungeness B |
Unplanned leak or spillage of contaminated or potentially contaminated coolant |
| 26.3.07 |
Dungeness B |
Unplanned leak or spillage of contaminated or potentially contaminated coolant |
| 27.4.07 |
Hinkley Point B |
Non-compliance or inadequacy associated with arrangements made in the interests of safety |
| 27.4.07 |
Hinkley Point B |
Non-compliance or inadequacy associated with arrangements made in the interests of safety |
| 2.6.07 |
Hunterston B |
Automatic or manual reactor trip following plant anomaly |
| 19.6.07 |
Dungeness B |
Automatic or manual reactor trip following plant anomaly |
| 20.6.07 |
Wylfa |
Automatic or manual reactor trip following plant anomaly |
| 20.6.07 |
Oldbury |
Safety-related plant defect or degradation |
| 20.6.07 |
Wylfa |
Automatic or manual reactor trip following plant anomaly |
| 20.6.07 |
Oldbury |
Safety-related plant defect or degradation |
| 13.9.07 |
Berkeley |
Non-adherence to a safety-related procedure |
| 13.9.07 |
Berkeley |
Non-adherence to a safety-related procedure |
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NPS FS Screened Non INES-rated Reports for 2008
| Event date |
Site |
Event description |
| 23.1.08 |
Wylfa |
Non-compliance or inadequacy associated with arrangements made in the interests of safety |
| 31.1.08 |
Wylfa |
Lifting event with nuclear safety implications |
| 7.2.08 |
Oldbury |
Safety-related plant defect or degradation |
| 12.3.08 |
Wylfa |
Safety-related plant defect or degradation |
| 1.4.08 |
Wylfa |
Non-compliance or inadequacy associated with arrangements made in the interests of safety |
| 22.4.08 |
Heysham 1 |
Lifting event with nuclear safety implications |
| 12.6.08 |
Hinkley Point B |
Safety-related plant defect or degradation |
| 20.6.08 |
Hartlepool |
Non-adherence to a safety-related procedure |
| 7.8.08 |
Wylfa |
Safety-related plant defect or degradation |
| 23.8.08 |
Wylfa |
Automatic or manual reactor trip following plant anomaly |
| 14.10.08 |
Hinkley Point B |
Conventional safety event |
| 5.11.08 |
Wylfa |
Smouldering / smoking material or fire |
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NPS FS Screened Non INES-rated Reports for 2009
| Event Date |
Site |
Event description |
| 12.3.09 |
Heysham 1 |
Smouldering / smoking material or fire |
| 20.3.09 |
Hunterston B |
Smouldering / smoking material or fire |
| 7.5.09 |
Heysham 2 |
Safety-related plant defect or degradation |
| 15.7.09 |
Heysham 2 |
Non-adherence to a safety-related procedure |
| 10.9.09 |
Hartlepool |
Automatic or manual reactor trip following plant anomaly |
| 12.9.09 |
Heysham 2 |
Conventional safety event |
| 12.9.09 |
Heysham 2 |
Conventional safety event |
| 14.10.09 |
Heysham 2 |
Lifting event with nuclear safety implications |
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NPS INES-rated Fast Stream Reports for 2009 from 19 Sept
| Event Date |
Site |
INES Rating |
Event description |
| 19.9.09 |
Sizewell B |
0 |
Environment event regulated by the Environment Agency or the Scottish Environment Protection Agency |
| 28.9.09 |
Heysham 2 |
0 |
Automatic or manual reactor trip following plant anomaly |
| 30.9.09 |
Hartlepool |
0 |
Lifting event with nuclear safety implications |
| 20.10.09 |
Dungeness B |
0 |
Environment event regulated by the Environment Agency or the Scottish Environment Protection Agency |
| 30.10.09 |
Hinkley Point B |
0 |
Automatic or manual reactor trip following plant anomaly |
| 2.11.09 |
Hartlepool |
0 |
Non-compliance with conditions and limits necessary in the interests of safety |
| 7.11.09 |
Hunterston B |
0 |
Non-compliance with conditions and limits necessary in the interests of safety |
| 8.11.09 |
Hinkley Point B |
0 |
Non-compliance with conditions and limits necessary in the interests of safety |
| 11.11.09 |
Sizewell B |
0 |
Automatic or manual reactor trip following plant anomaly |
| 16.11.09 |
Hinkley Point B |
0 |
External event (including those not on a licensed nuclear site) |
| 23.11.09 |
Dungeness B |
1 |
Smouldering / smoking material or fire |
| 25.11.09 |
Heysham 1 |
0 |
Conventional safety event |
| 6.12.09 |
Wylfa |
0 |
Unplanned leak or spillage of active or potentially active process liquor or material |
| 11.12.09 |
Heysham 1 |
0 |
Smouldering / smoking material or fire |
| 21.12.09 |
Heysham 1 |
0 |
Unplanned leak or spillage of contaminated or potentially contaminated coolant |
| 21.12.09 |
Sizewell A |
0 |
Conventional safety event |
| 24.12.2009 |
Sizewell A |
0 |
External event (including those not on a licensed nuclear site) |
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NPS Other INES-rated Reports for 2009 from 12 Aug
| Event date |
Site |
INES Rating |
Event description |
| 28.8.09 |
Hartlepool |
0 |
Smouldering / smoking material or fire |
| 10.9.09 |
Hinkley Point B |
0 |
Lifting event with nuclear safety implications |
| 12.9.09 |
Heysham 1 |
0 |
Non-adherence to a safety-related procedure |
| 1.10.09 |
Hinkley Point B |
0 |
Automatic or manual reactor trip following plant anomaly |
| 10.10.09 |
Hartlepool |
0 |
Automatic or manual reactor trip following plant anomaly |
| 18.10.09 |
Hartlepool |
0 |
Automatic or manual reactor trip following plant anomaly |
| 24.12.09 |
Heysham 1 |
0 |
Radiation or contamination event affecting personnel |
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AWE Reports for 2005-09
| Event date |
Site |
Event description |
| 23.8.05 |
Aldermaston |
Unplanned leak or spillage of active or potentially active process liquor or material |
| 29.6.06 |
Aldermaston |
Smouldering/smoking material or fire |
| 3.1.07 |
Aldermaston |
Non-compliance with conditions and limits necessary in the interests of safety |
| 4.1.07 |
Aldermaston |
Conventional safety event |
| 4.1.07 |
Aldermaston |
Conventional safety event |
| 9.5.07 |
Aldermaston |
Safety-related plant defect or degradation |
| 18.5.07 |
Aldermaston |
Media interest only |
| 21.8.07 |
Aldermaston |
Radiation or contamination event affecting personnel |
| 12.9.07 |
Aldermaston |
Non-compliance with conditions and limits necessary in the interests of safety |
| 21.11.07 |
Aldermaston |
Safety-related plant requirement incorrectly implemented |
| 10.1.08 |
Aldermaston |
Non-compliance with conditions and limits necessary in the interests of safety |
| 21.2.08 |
Aldermaston |
Non-compliance with conditions and limits necessary in the interests of safety |
| 23.4.08 |
Aldermaston |
Safety-related plant defect or degradation |
| 25.9.08 |
Aldermaston |
Radiation or contamination event affecting personnel |
| 29.9.08 |
Aldermaston |
Non-compliance or inadequacy associated with arrangements made in the interests of safety |
| 8.10.08 |
Aldermaston |
Radiation or contamination event affecting personnel |
| 20.10.08 |
Aldermaston |
Safety-related plant requirement incorrectly implemented |
| 27.11.08 |
Aldermaston |
Safety-related plant defect or degradation |
| 3.12.08 |
Aldermaston |
Safety-related plant requirement incorrectly implemented |
| 11.12.08 |
Aldermaston |
Safety-related plant defect or degradation |
| 21.2.09 |
Aldermaston |
Safety-related plant requirement incorrectly implemented |
| 9.3.09 |
Aldermaston |
Smouldering/smoking material or fire |
| 19.3.09 |
Aldermaston |
Smouldering/smoking material or fire |
| 3.4.09 |
Aldermaston |
Radiation or contamination event affecting personnel |
| 13.5.09 |
Aldermaston |
Conventional safety event |
| 29.6.09 |
Aldermaston |
Unplanned leak or spillage of active or potentially active process liquor or material |
| 15.10.09 |
Aldermaston |
Safety-related plant defect or degradation |
| 23.10.09 |
Aldermaston |
Unplanned leak or spillage of active or potentially active process liquor or material |
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