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 Barrow-in-Furness Local Liaison committee (LLC) and covers activities associated with the regulation of nuclear safety at BAE SYSTEMS Marine Limited (BAESM). These reports are distributed quarterly.
Site Inspectors of HM Nuclear Installations Inspectorate normally attend LLC meetings and will be happy to respond to questions raised there or subsequently by members of the LLC. 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 majority of sites inspected by HM Nuclear Installations Inspectorate (NII) a part of the Health and Safety Executive, are licensed by NII under the Nuclear Installations Act 1965 (as amended). This report summarises the inspection and regulatory activities associated with the Barrow-in-Furness licensed site. In accordance with the HSE commitments to open government, this report will also be placed on the Internet.
Visits are made to the sites for the purpose of undertaking routine plant and project inspections or attending formal meetings with site management or safety representatives. Routine inspections by NII are undertaken primarily to check compliance with licence conditions made under the Nuclear Installations Act, but are also made against provisions of the Health & Safety at Work Act 1974, and regulations made under that Act such as the Ionising Radiations Regulations 1999. The site inspector visited site on:
1-2 July 2004
6-8 July 2004
27-28 July 2004
3-5 August 2004
10 August 2004
12 August 2004
18-19 August 2004
7-9 September 2004
14 September 2004
16 September 2004
22-23 September 2004
Other NII inspectors visited site on
1-2 July 2004
8 July 2004
10 August 2004
9 September 2004
14 September 2004
23 September 2004
Matters covered in this section are those being pursued with the site as part of ongoing site inspection activity and dialogue including project work and any generic or topical work relevant to all licensees.
As part of the routine inspection programme for the sites NII check compliance with licence conditions made under the Nuclear Installations Act and other Regulations such as the Ionising Radiation Regulations 1999.
BAESM is in the process of amending its arrangements made to comply with the licence conditions to reflect current thinking and industry good practice, and to reflect the recent reorganisation within the Company. No significant issues in relation to compliance and the licensed site facilities were raised during the quarter.
BAESM convened a senior level workshop to discuss the relationships between the principal stakeholders involved with the Astute project. The workshop was chaired and facilitated by independents and provoked frank discussion on the potential hindrances to BAESM producing an adequate, 'modern standards' safety case for activities on the licensed site. Issues concerning stakeholder relationships, and the actions needed to resolve them, were identified. Those attending believed the workshop provided a valuable opportunity to understand each others' positions and requirements, and to improve communications between them.
BAESM has embarked on a programme to improve its capacity and ability to self-regulate activities that could affect nuclear safety. NII welcomes this initiative, which is consistent with good industry practice, and has committed to giving appropriate help and advice to assist BAESM to achieve its aims and objectives.
Exercise Indigo, the triennial demonstration of the off-site emergency plan, as required by the Radiation (Emergency Preparedness and Public Information) Regulations 2001, took place on 23 September 2004. The exercise involved the first use of the new South Cumbria Emergency Control Centre and, while there were the inevitable learning opportunities, it was considered by NII to have been a satisfactory test of the plan.
Matters involving NII's response to incidents/events and to non-routine issues arising from operation of the sites are reported in this section together with the outcome of any special/team inspections, investigations or audits.
There is nothing to report in this section for the quarter.
NII issues formal regulatory documents called Consents and Approvals, together with licence instruments where these are called for under conditions attached to the site licence. Directions may also be issued at the discretion of NII.
Regulatory activity during the quarter was limited to the reported inspection activities and no formal regulatory documents were issued by NII for the Barrow-in-Furness site.
Published on the HSE web site 6 December 2004