Health and Safety
Executive / Commission
Nuclear
LLC reports
The 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 Hinkley Point A Power Station's Local Community Liaison Council (LCLC) and covers activities associated with the regulation of safety at Hinkley Point A Power Station. These reports are distributed quarterly. Site Inspectors of HM Nuclear Installations Inspectorate normally attend LCLC meetings and will be happy to respond to questions raised there or subsequently by members of the LCLC. Alternatively, any other person wishing to enquire about matters covered by this report should contact the HSE, Nuclear Directorate Information Centre on 0151 951 4103. INSPECTIONS.
The Site Inspector made the following visits to Hinkley Point "A" in the period covered by this report:
1 April 2004.
11 to 13 May 2004.
22 to 24 June 2004.
The site inspector also held meetings with the licensee on 23 April, 10 May and 16 June 2004.
Compliance inspections. During the site visits, NII's site inspector carried out planned sample inspections of the implementation of the licensee's arrangements for compliance with the conditions attached to the Site Licence as well as other relevant health and safety legislation, generally accompanied by a safety representative during plant inspections. Joint inspections with the Environment Agency site inspector also continue to be undertaken when appropriate. NII specialist inspectors examined the licensee's compliance against The Ionising Radiations Regulations 1999 in July 2003. Some shortfalls were noted during this inspection. A programme of actions was agreed, largely addressed by the licensee. The few outstanding actions remain on track for completion during 2004. The licensee has submitted an updated radioactive waste storage safety case to NII, which will be assessed and inspected by NII during the latter half of 2004. Site inspections of both reactor ponds were undertaken, in order to consider the licensee's proposed strategy for ensuring that fuel is removed from the reactor ponds in a timely manner, within a few months of completion of defuelling of the reactors. Site inspections of operations on both reactor pile caps were also undertaken, minor shortfalls being promptly addressed by the licensee. The licensee was preparing to update an electronic system, which was used to control safety and environmental compliance maintenance work across the site. The licensee's readiness to update the electronic system was inspected, jointly with the licensees project staff and safety representatives, with a positive outcome. The licensee demonstrated strong evidence of having effectively project managed the system upgrade. (A Licence Instrument, to enable the change to be implemented, was issued by NII on 1st July 2004).
Licensee's corporate reorganisation. The licensee's (Magnox Electric plc) parent company (BNFL) is undergoing considerable corporate reorganisation, (including the formation of British Nuclear Group in May 2004). NII currently has a team of specialist inspectors assessing the adequacy of the developing top level organisation changes within BNFL, addressing the safety related aspects of these corprorate changes, to guard against any adverse impacts on the licensed sites. The proposed organisational structures for the sites are still being developed by the licensee and will be assessed by NII. Two Licence Instruments were issued in this quarter relating to the reorganisation, one agreeing to the implementation of the top level organisational change and one agreeing to the implementation of the common reactor site lead team structure at the site. Early indications are that the licensee is carefully assessing the site organisation requirements for the period following the completion of defuelling.
Emergency arrangements. The site are proposing to alter the approved emergency arrangements over the next twelve months, to reflect the reduced hazard from the site after defuelling has been completed. In accordance with the nuclear site licence arrangements, demonstration emergency exercises are to be undertaken and observed by NII, prior to implementing any proposed changes. Arrangements for the first "silent hours" emergency exercise have been agreed and this is planned for July 2004. Further emergency exercises, to test the adequacy of the licensee's developing arrangements, will be inspected over the next twelve months. This includes the annual Level One observed emergency exercise, which has also been advised by NII to be held in "silent hours", in order to rigorously test the licensee's arrangements.
Incidents on the site. As part of NII's planned inspections, the site inspector monitored the licensee's arrangements for the recording and investigation of events on the station. The site inspector remains broadly content with the manner in which the minor events had been addressed by the licensee, by sampling the licensee's investigation reports.
Control and supervision of contractors. The licensee has responsibility for the appropriate control and supervision of contractors working on the licensed site. A number of contractors were now engaged in decommissioning projects, on the site and elsewhere, including the asbestos stripping operations underway in several buildings on the site. The licensee's arrangements for controlling and supervising this work were inspected, (including discussions with contractors undertaking the work) and found to be broadly acceptable.
None arising during this quarter.
Site Licence: The Inspectorate has powers under the Nuclear Site Licence to issue Consents, Approvals and Directions. In addition, the Inspectorate uses Licence Instruments (LI) to issue Specifications and Agreements under the conditions attached to the Site Licence. Two Licence Instruments have been issued in this period, both being Agreements under Licence Condition 36 (Control of Organisational Change) arrangements. Licence Instrument G2 was issued on 29th April 2004, agreeing to the top level organisational change. Licence Instrument G4 was issued on 24th June 2004, agreeing to the implementation of a common reactor site lead team structure.
Published on the HSE web site 27 July 2004
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