Health and Safety
Executive / Commission
Nuclear
LLC reports
This report is issued as part of the Health and Safety Executive's commitment to make information about inspection and regulatory activities relating to the above sites available to the public. It is for distribution to members of the AWE Local Liaison Committee (LLC) and covers activities associated with the regulation of safety at Aldermaston and Burghfield. Site Inspectors of HM Nuclear Installations Inspectorate attend LLC meetings and will be happy to respond to any questions raised there by members. Any other person wishing to enquire about matters covered by this report may contact HSE's Nuclear Directorate Information Centre on 0151-951-4103.
1. A total of 15 different NII Inspectors visited the Aldermaston and Burghfield sites during the quarter. Inspections were made on the following days:
14-18 January
22 January
4-8 February
11-15 February
26-28 February
19-22 March
26-27 March
15,17 January
4, 6, 8 February
26-27 February
25, 27 March
Inspections are undertaken for the purpose of monitoring compliance with (i) the conditions attached by HSE to the nuclear site licences, and (ii) other relevant provisions of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974, including the Ionising Radiations Regulations 1999. In this period routine inspections included:
Issues arising from these and previous inspections are being pursued. Inspections were made also by HSE's Factory Inspectors, Explosives Inspectors, and Fire Surveyor.
Some of AWE plc's work in reply to the actions placed by NII's public report of June 2001 has fallen behind schedule, in one instance considerably so. After discussion with NII the licensee took steps to remedy the slippage.
NII has continued to assess and discuss the new Baseline document, which is required under this condition and describes and justifies the current organisation. Some examples of changes involving staff reductions were delayed for close examination, though all were subsequently agreed.
In February a team of six NII inspectors examined the licensee's control of the criticality hazard at the two sites. It was found to be satisfactory throughout, and some good features were noted. Three principal areas of concern were identified. These were immediately brought to the licensee's attention, and there is a continuing programme of work to resolve them. A formal report containing recommendations for improvement will be issued to the licensee in May.
A further inspection of non-radiological hazards in a variety of plants, both nuclear and non-nuclear, was undertaken by NII. Plants inspected included, for instance, the Viper reactor and the Engineering Training School. In general we found these hazards to be well controlled. Issues arising on fire and confined spaces are being pursued.
The Radiation (Emergency Preparedness and Public Information) Regulations 2001 required AWE plc to make assessments to show that all hazards that might lead to radiation accidents have been identified and the risks to all persons arising from those hazards have been quantified. Documents have been received in respect of both sites, and are being assessed.
Discussions have been held on the safety of the design for a proposed major new hydrodynamics research facility.
NII has asked for, and the licensee has provided, a programme for the disposal of the many used ventilation filters that are currently being stored on the site. Now that a method for measuring the amounts of radioactive material they carry has been developed, it is hoped to dispose of most of the backlog in 2 years.
A number of meetings have been held between the two regulators to identify and discuss areas of common interest. In particular, following its inspection of a production facility the Environment Agency discussed its findings with NII. It was agreed that NII would pursue one of those findings.
As part of its regulation under the nuclear site licences NII issues formal regulatory documents, which include Consents, Approvals, Directions, and Licence Instruments 1. During the quarter NII issued Approval No 8 at Aldermaston, which approved an amendment to the decommissioning programme for a former production plant. It also issued LI No 19, which gave permission for a further stage in the continuing decommissioning of another such plant. At Burghfield LI No 7 was issued, agreeing to a modified process for the disassembly of Trident warheads.
1 Licence Instruments are issued to acknowledge receipt of specified documents, e.g. proposals for a new or modified plant; to stipulate whether the Inspectorate intends to examine these documents, or to agree to the start of a particular phase of construction, commissioning, modification or decommissioning.
Published on the HSE web site 24 June 2002