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 site available to the public. It is for distribution to members of the Dungeness Local Community Liaison Council and covers activities associated with the regulation of safety at Dungeness B Nuclear Power Station. These reports are distributed quar-terly and are available on the HSE web site (hse.gov.uk/nuclear/llc/2003/index.htm). Site Inspectors of HM Nuclear Installations Inspectorate (part of the Health and Safety Executive's Nuclear Directorate) attend LCLC meetings and will be happy to respond to any questions raised there by members of the LCLC. Any other person wishing to inquire about matters covered by this report should contact the HSE's Nuclear Directorate Information Centre on 0151 951 4103.
1. The Nuclear Installations Inspectorate (NII) Site Inspector and/or his assistant visited Dungeness 'B' on the following dates during the quarter covered by this report:
14-17 and 20-22 October,
10-12 and 17-21 November, and
1-4 December.
2. Other NII inspectors with specialist technical expertise also visited British Energy establishments during the period so as to support the Site Inspector by performing inspections on the power station's nuclear safety case.
3. Compliance Inspections: During the visits listed above the Site Inspector, and assistant, carried out planned inspections of the licensee's compliance with: (i) the conditions attached to the Site Licence; (ii) the Ionising Radiations Regulations; and (iii) other relevant health and safety legislation.
3. Joint NII/EA Site Inspection: The NII and Environment Agency inspectors carried out a joint inspection at site on 21 October 2003. A number of minor issues were brought to the attention of the station's management team.
4. Local Community Liaison Committee Meeting: The Site Inspector attended the LCLC meeting at Dungeness on 12 November 2003.
5. Incidents on Site: As part of routine, planned inspections the Site Inspector examined the licensee's arrangements for the recording and investigation of incidents at the power station and, where appropriate, undertook independent investigations to the extent that was warranted by the significance of the incident.
6. Investigations were carried out into the circumstances of (i) a man entry into the irradiated fuel disposal facility while a shield plug was not fully seated above irradiated fuel, (ii) boiler flow instabilities that were found to be due to the use of some incorrectly profiled trim valve stems, (iii) the loss of grid on 13 December and (iv) breach of Rules due to an incorrectly configured Essential Cooling Water system. It was considered that the Licensee had acted appropriately following all of these events and therefore no further regulatory action is proposed.
7. The NII has powers within the standard Nuclear Site Licence Conditions to issue Consents, Approvals and Directions. In addition NII uses Licence Instruments to issue Specifications and Agreements under the conditions attached to the Licence. In accordance with formal regulatory procedures under Site Licence No. 61 the NII issued the following:
Approval No 15 was issued on 8 December 2003 so as to approve amendments to the Dungeness B power station Operating Rules.
Licence Instrument No 56 was issued on 8 December 2003 giving HSE agreement to continued operation of the Dungeness B reactors on the basis of the Consolidated Shutdown Cooling Safety Case.
Published on the HSE web site 1 April 2004