CONTENTS

• Inspections
• Routine Matters
• Non Routine Matters
• Regulatory Activity

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FOREWORD

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. These reports are distributed quarterly and are available also from the Internet at http://www.hse.gov.uk/nuclear/index.htm. 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.

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Introduction

A total of 22 NII inspectors visited the Aldermaston and Burghfield sites during the quarter. In addition there were visits from other HSE inspectors in relation to conventional safety, and explosives. NII inspections were made on the following dates:

Aldermaston	Burghfield
4 - 7/07/2005	7 - 8/07/2005
11-13/07/2005	18/07/2005
19-22/07/2005	27-28/07/2005
25-29/07/2005	10/08/2005
8-11/08/2005	24-25/08/2005
24-25/08/2005	12-14/09/2005
6 - 7/09/2005	16/09/2005
12-16/09/2005	27/09/2005
19/09/2005
27/09/2005
30/09/2005

 

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ROUTINE MATTERS

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:

• Provision and assessment of safety cases and compliance with arrangements made under licence conditions.
• Management of facility operations and maintenance.
• Proposals for new plants.
• Emergency arrangements.
• Decommissioning of redundant facilities.
• Waste management.
• Operating rules, operating instructions, and operational records.
• Arrangements for the control of modifications to existing plants.
• Arrangements for the notification, recording, investigation, and reporting of incidents on the sites.
• Managing of contractors.

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NON-ROUTINE MATTERS

Corporate

• Annual Review Meeting:
  The HSE/AWE annual review meeting was attended by HSE [ND, FOD, & HID (Explosives)], Nuclear Weapons Regulator (NWR) and Environment Agency (EA). The Licensee was able to demonstrate lessons learnt and also provide a clearer picture of its intentions for the forthcoming year. An area of concern was the lack of a current hold point schedule for the future work.

• Contaminated Land:
  A meeting has been held with the licensee to discuss their approach to determining land quality. The licensee approach includes the use of a powerful software tool for statistically determining the sampling/surveying regime. This is only one part of the approach, which also includes looking at detailed facility histories using professional judgement and working out what can be done practically. The approach described was considered sound.

• Intermediate Level Waste Strategy:
  AWE outlined its ILW strategy to a joint group from NII and EA. AWE is drafting a proposal on selected alternative ILW treatment options for NIREX consideration and seeking a letter of comfort.

• Ionising Radiations Regulations Inspection:
  An NII team inspection of the application of the IRRs at AWE was carried out. No major weaknesses were found, and the team was generally satisfied that AWE had adequate arrangements in place to comply with the IRRs. A number of areas warranting minor improvement were identified and communicated to AWE.

Aldermaston

• Improvement Notice:
  After consultation with ND, HSE (FOD) served an Improvement Notice in relation to the protection of overhead power and telephone lines on site. This action was taken when it was discovered that although the immediate concern had been rectified there had been limited progress on a wider programme of rectification agreed with the licensee 6 months previously.

• Level 1 Demonstration Emergency Exercise:
  The annual L1 demonstration exercise was held. NWR joined the NII team reviewing the exercise. The overall judgement was that there were deficiencies associated with the scene of the event. The licensee recognised the problems and offered to re-demonstrate this aspect of the exercise. This offer was accepted. The exercise will be re-demonstrated in late November to give the licensee time to address the problems.
• Quality Assurance Inspection:
  An NII team inspected QA issues across the Aldermaston and the Burghfield sites. Areas for improvement have been identified but the general level is considered to be sufficiently good that immediate enforcement action is not necessary. There are 8 requirements (for improvement) and 5 elements of advice. The requirements relate to the development of the AWE Integrated Management System (IMS), auditing, document review and calibration.
• Periodic Safety Case – Fault Study Issues:
  The fault study approach used in the licensee’s latest PRS safety case has been discussed. Assessment of the original case led to a number of facility specific issues, as well as site generic methodology issues. The licensee provided a comprehensive overview of the work that they had done for a facility. However some further work is necessary to support AWE’s claim of equivalent to the BS HAZOP approach.
• Tritium Release Event:
  AWE has set out its response to the Improvement Notice served following the tritium release event that took place in May 2005. The response is targeted towards improving the instructions and training given to staff in lower hazard category facilities, and setting out the actions to be taken in the event of discovering legacy materials. It is considered to be broadly acceptable. Discussions have also taken place over AWE’s more fundamental response to the event. This involves a review of the adequacy of AWE’s management structures. AWE’s initial proposals appear sound.
• Aqueous Spillage Event:
  In August 2005 when transferring liquor in the Waste Management Group some 6m 3 of slightly contaminated liquor overflowed from a sludge tank into the engineered bund. The liquor was fully contained within the bund; there was no escape to the environment. The event was considered to be reportable under the Ionising Radiations Regulations. Initial indications are that a valve misalignment led to the overflow. AWE has been asked to ensure that issues around control and supervision and the use of procedures are suitably addressed by their investigation.

Burghfield

• Instruction Improvements:
  An NII review of a slow run through last year, identified shortfalls in the instructions in terms of human factors aspects e.g. task control and instruction format. The licensee recognises that improvements can be made and is in discussion with other interested parties on the best way forwards.

• MSER/Nuclear legislation approach:
  NII is sponsoring discussions between HID, MoD, DOSG, NWR and the licensee to rationalise the HSE position with regard to the requirement for the quantity/distance approach under the manufacture and storage of explosives regulations (MSER).

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REGULATORY ACTIVITY

• As part of its regulation under the nuclear site licences NII issues formal regulatory documents, which include Consents, Approvals, Directions, and Licence Instruments.
  
• No Licence Instruments were issued in this period.

Licence Instruments are issued to acknowledge receipt of specified documents, eg 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.

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