Health and Safety
Executive / Commission
Nuclear
LLC reports
Inspections
Routine
Matters
Non Routine Matters
Regulatory Activity
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 Berkeley and Oldbury Local Community Liaison Council and covers activities associated with the regulation of safety at Oldbury Nuclear Power Station. These reports are distributed quarterly. 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, Nuclear Directorate Information Centre on 0151 - 951 - 4103.
The HMNII Site Inspector for the Oldbury site and other Specialist Inspectors visited on the following dates:
| 1 - 3 July 2003 | 14 - 16 July 2003 | |
| 4 - 7 August 2003 | 8 - 11 September 2003 | |
| 17 September 2003 | 23 - 25 September 2003 |
In this quarter-year period, planned compliance inspections were undertaken on a range of licence conditions (LCs). These were Restrictions on Dealing with the Site (LC3), Duly Authorised Persons (LC12), Operating Rules (LC23), Radiological Protection (LC18 plus Ionising Radiations Regulations) and Accumulation, Disposal and Leakage of Radioactive Waste (LCs 32, 33 and 34). These inspections mainly showed general compliance with the licence conditions. However, some shortcomings were identified.
There is a need for improvements in the station's contamination control practices. The station has recognised this need and has initiated an improvement programme, which includes actions identified by NII. NII will monitor the programme and will be looking for a reduction in the number of minor contamination events on site.
The station's arrangements for the roles and responsibilities of Duly Authorised Persons (DAPs) relating to maintenance activities were not clear. These are being addressed by the station. The station is also improving its systems for appointing suitably qualified and experienced persons (SQEPs) to undertake key safety and managerial roles and tasks.
NII continues to monitor all safety-related events on site. There are no significant events to report this quarter.
NII continues to monitor the control block rectification project, which is on programme for completion by the end of the calendar year.
NII was disappointed to discover that improvements identified under the station's last Periodic Safety Review relating to configuration control of safety-related plant had not been implemented. The station has reviewed its commitments tracking systems in the light of this failure and NII is pressing the station to implement these improvements now in a very timely manner and so far as is reasonably practicable.
The Inspectorate has power under the licence to issue Consents, Approvals and Directions. In addition the Inspectorate uses Licence Instruments to issue Specifications and Agreements under the conditions attached to the licence.
No formal Directions, Consents, Approvals and Licence Instruments (LI) were issued during the quarter.
Published on the HSE web site 17 November 2003