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 Heysham Power Station available to the public. It is for distribution to members of the Heysham Local Community Liaison Council and covers activities associated with the regulation of safety at Heysham. These reports are distributed quarterly. Site Inspectors of HM Nuclear Installations Inspectorate attend LCLC meetings and will respond to any questions raised there by members of the LCLC. Any other person wishing to enquire about matters covered by this report should contact the HSE, Nuclear Directorate Information Centre on 0151-951-4103.
This report will be put onto the HSE website at http://www.hse.gov.uk/nuclear/index.htm under ‘Local Liaison Committee reports’.The Nuclear Installations Inspectorate (NII) site inspectors made visits to Heysham on the following dates during this quarter:
| Heysham 1 | Heysham 2 | |
|---|---|---|
| 11 | October 2005 | 6, 14, 19, 26 |
| 4, 8, 14, 15, 22, 23 | November 2005 | 1, 2, 4, 9, 10, 15, 17, 18, |
| 6, 7, 8, 15 | December 2005 | 1, 12, 21 |
Other members of the NII and specialist inspectors visited the Heysham site during the period, as follows.
The NII Site Inspector and Superintending Inspector attended site during the period in relation to matters associated with: planned and reactive inspection activities; events on the site; and safety case developments.
The NII site inspector, an NII Superintending Inspector and specialist NII Inspectors attended site to carry out routine inspection, inspection during the statutory outage of reactor 7 and inspection associated with other matters arising on Heysham 2.
As part of routine work NII inspects for compliance with the requirements of the Health and Safety at Work Act, its Relevant Statutory Provisions, the Nuclear Site Licence Conditions, the arrangements made under the conditions for each station and other safety regulations as appropriate. This includes monitoring licensee’s actions in relation to station events, plant operations, site projects, plant modifications, safety case changes and other matters which may affect safety. Inspections of this type are usually planned in advance of the site inspection visit. Matters of particular note considered during the current period include the following.
The Heysham NII site inspectors attended the LCLC, which took place on 4 November 2005.
Planned work this quarter covered inspections of a number of licence conditions including: incidents on site (LC7); emergency arrangements (LC11); radiological protection (LC18); modification or experiment on existing plant (LC22); operating rules and instructions (LC23&24).
In general the arrangements made and implemented by station in response to licence condition requirements were generally deemed to be adequate in the areas inspected. Where improvements were considered necessary, satisfactory commitments to address the issues were made by station. Other aspects of particular significance of a routine nature are summarised below.
2005 Annual Review of Safety Meeting 15 November.
The NII Site Inspector and NII Superintending Inspector attended the 2005 Annual Review of Safety meeting. Heysham 1 has maintained an adequate safety record over a very challenging period during which it has responded to a series of emergent issues. The station is set to embark on a programme of improvement that will aim to achieve higher standards of nuclear safety performance.
Heysham 1 Level 1 Demonstration Emergency exercise.
A team of NII Inspectors observed the Heysham 1 level 1 emergency exercise held on 23 November 2005. NII was satisfied that the station had demonstrated that its arrangements are adequate. However, the station agreed to provide a further demonstration of Command and Control in the Emergency Control Centre during a future shift exercise, to be observed by NII.
Planned work this quarter covered inspections of a number of licence conditions including: incidents on site (LC7); training (LC10); emergency arrangements (LC11); duly authorised and other suitably qualified and experienced persons (LC12); quality assurance (LC17); radiological protection (LC18); modification or experiment on existing plant (LC22); operating rules and instructions (LC23&24); control and supervision of operations (LC26); examination, inspection, maintenance and testing (LC28); periodic shutdown (LC30) and control of organisational change (LC36)
In general the arrangements made and implemented by station in response to licence condition requirements were generally deemed to be adequate in the areas inspected. Where remedial action was considered necessary, mainly relating to implementation of arrangements, station has made commitments to address NII areas for improvement. Other routine matters of particular significance are summarised below.
Periodic Shutdown of Reactor 7
Reactor 7 underwent a triennial periodic shutdown in October and November 2005 as required by licence condition 30(1). During the outage the Licensee has conducted examinations, inspections, maintenance and testing activities in accordance with the Station Maintenance Schedule, inspections to support the station safety case, inspections to comply with statutory requirements, carried out remedial work to rectify defects, addressed emergent work and implemented modifications. Representatives of the licensee, including independent internal departments, carried out audits and inspections of selected outage activities and raised no issues which should have prevented the restart of reactor 7 and its operation until the next periodic shutdown. NII sampled various aspects of the Licensee's arrangements for controlling and completing periodic shutdown work, devoting most attention to work of high safety significance. The inspections raised no issues which should have prevented the restart of reactor 7 and its operation until the next periodic shutdown. The suitability of reactor 7 to be returned to service and operated for a further period was independently confirmed by SRD, the company internal safety department. Following submission of the licensee’s documents justifying return to service of reactor 7 after the 2005 periodic shutdown, Consent to start up reactor 7 was granted by NII acting on behalf of HSE.
NII site inspectors consider non-routine matters and events that have occurred on the site and examine the Licensee’s response to them. Licensees are required to have arrangements to respond to such matters and NII inspectors judge the adequacy of their response in taking appropriate remedial action and implementing necessary improvements. Matters of particular note considered during the current period include the following.
NII continues to maintain close regulatory control of Heysham 1's response to the discovery of standing water in a boiler closure units (BCU) primary hold down stud guide tube. Additional inspection of the Heysham 1 BCUs did not reveal any evidence of the acidic aqueous substance observed in a stud guide tube on Hartlepool Reactor 2. In October the station sought, and obtained, NII's agreement to implement an interim safety case justifying return to service of the reactors. Between February and July 2006 the station will take the opportunity presented by a series of scheduled refuelling outages to complete outstanding inspections of the BCUs and also implement a programme of measures aimed at underpinning confidence in the integrity of the BCUs. On completion of this work, the station will seek NII's agreement to implement a medium term safety case justifying continued operation pending submission of a consolidated safety case for the BCUs.
Station reported that on three occasions a nuclear safety related fire door was not closed and secured in compliance with safety case requirements. On each occasion they responded in accordance with the station arrangements for incidents on the site (LC7) to restore compliance and identify corrective actions. However, the remedial action taken initially did not prevent the recurrent events and therefore further corrective action by station was necessary. NII has reminded station of the need to comply with the requirements of the safety case to provide protection from the fire hazard. Station has confirmed this requirement to station staff and contractors, and provided additional briefing and training sessions as appropriate to help prevent recurrent events. NII are monitoring station progress to prevent further instances of nuclear safety related fire doors not being closed.
Following the return to service of reactor 7 after its recent periodic shutdown, an automatic unplanned trip of reactor 7 occurred during transient boiler conditions. The reactor was safely shutdown and all post-trip cooling equipment was reported to have operated in accordance with safety case requirements. A station investigation suggests that the transient occurred whilst the main boiler feed pump was being returned to service coinciding with high-indicated boiler component metal temperatures. The station investigation is continuing and in the interim the reactor has been returned to service using the additional start and stand-by boiler feed pumps. Station does not intend to return the main feed pump to service until it has been inspected, refurbished as necessary and confirmed fit for further service. NII are monitoring station progress to restore the main feed pump to service.
Station Proposal for Operations Technicians to Work a 12 Hour Shift Pattern
Station is carrying out a trial of 12 hour shift working for operations technicians as described in a document provided to NII in compliance with the arrangements to address LC 36 – Control of Organisational Change. Station wishes the trial to result in permanent implementation of the proposal, provided staff vote to accept it and the safety evaluation of the trial raises no significant safety issues. NII specialist staff is overseeing station’s monitoring of the trial, and will need to be satisfied that the outcome from the safety evaluation of it is acceptable, prior to implementation of the change.
Following an inspection of the provisions for maintenance required by LC 28 of nuclear safety related fire dampers, NII has requested station to review and revise as necessary the current maintenance arrangements. Station has been asked to provide a programme of work, with appropriate timescales, to complete necessary improvement work. NII will monitor station progress with the work once the programme has been accepted.
Under Health and Safety legislation NII Site Inspectors, and other HSE Inspectors, may issue formal notices to secure improvements to safety. The following formal notices have been issued this quarter in respect of Heysham.
The NII has secured improvements to arrangements for conducting work on the station without the need to issue formal notices during the reporting period.
The NII has secured improvements to arrangements for conducting work on the station without the need to issue formal notices during the reporting period.
As part of the licensing regime enforced by HSE/ND the Inspectorate may issue Agreements, Approvals, Consents, Directions, Notifications and Specifications under the Site Licence Conditions, to permission licensees’ activities as appropriate. The following licence instruments have been issued this quarter in respect of Heysham.
The NII issued two Licence Instrument during the reporting period.
The NII issued one Licence Instrument during the reporting period.