HSE Press Release: E159:04 - 12 November 2004

Statement of nuclear incidents at nuclear installations

A statement of nuclear incidents at nuclear installations in Britain during the second quarter of 2004 is published today by the Health and Safety Executive. It covers the period 1 April to 30 June 2004. There are two installations mentioned in the statement:

• Hartlepool (British Energy)
• Bradwell (Magnox Electric)

The statement is published under arrangements that came into effect from the first quarter of 1993, derived from the Health and Safety Commission's powers under section 11 of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974.

Notes to Editors

1. The arrangements for reporting incidents were announced to Parliament by the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Energy on 30 April 1987 (Hansard col. 203-204). A minor modification to arrangements for reporting on nuclear incidents was announced in HSE press notice E108:93 of 30 June 1993.

2. Normally each incident mentioned in HSE's Quarterly Incident Statements will already have been made public by the licensee or site operator either through a press statement or by inclusion in the newsletter for the site concerned.

Statement of Nuclear Incidents at Nuclear Installations: Second Quarter 2004 - single copies of each free from the Information Centre, Nuclear Safety Directorate, HSE, Room 004, St Peter's House, Stanley Precinct, Bootle L20 3LZ.

PUBLIC ENQUIRIES: Nuclear Safety Directorate Information Centre (address as above) Tel: 0151-951 4103/Fax: 0151 951 4004/e-mail: nsd.library@hse.gsi.gov.uk)

PRESS ENQUIRIES: Journalists only: Mark Wheeler 020 7717 6905
Out of hours 020 7928 8382

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STATEMENT OF NUCLEAR INCIDENTS AT NUCLEAR INSTALLATIONS- SECOND QUARTER 2004

The Health and Safety Executive presents the attached statement of nuclear incidents at nuclear installations published under the Health and Safety Commission's powers derived from section 11 of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974.

INCIDENT 04/2/1

On 9 June 2004 a flange leaked within the equipment used to handle tritiated water (i.e. water in which some of the hydrogen atoms are in the form of the radioactive isotope tritium) in the radioactive effluent treatment plant (RAETP) at Hartlepool power station. Approximately 900 litres of liquor were released. The station declared a site incident, which was stood down on 13 June after the affected areas had been restored to normal access conditions. During this time access was controlled by the station to prevent unauthorised access to the contaminated areas and thus ensure that doses to workers were properly controlled.

The leak was retained within the bunded RAETP and discharged through authorised discharge routes, except for a small quantity, which escaped through evaporation. Assessments by both the station and the Environment Agency demonstrated that: a) doses to workers were only a small percentage of the annual limits; and b) the off-site dose was insignificant.

British Energy immediately set up a Divisional Panel of Inquiry and the details of the event and the lessons learned were promulgated to all sites. The Nuclear Installations Inspectorate (NII) and Environment Agency (EA) have conducted a joint investigation. The EA has advised station that it does not intend to prosecute. The NII is due to report shortly but is also expected to advise the station that it will not prosecute.

INCIDENT 04/2/2

On 14 April 2004 there was a release of radioactivity in the reactor building at Bradwell power station, operated by Magnox Electric plc.

The incident occurred while preparations were being made to lower a camera into the reactor which was to be used to observe some modified equipment for defuelling. The operation involved opening a set of valves and the wrong valve was opened which lead to the release because unexpectedly the reactor was under pressure. The contamination alarm sounded but there was some delay before the area was evacuated.

Six members of staff received small doses of radiation below legal limits. The incident is still under investigation by NII.

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