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 Site Stakeholder Group (SSG) 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 SSG meetings and will be happy to respond to questions raised there or subsequently by members of the SSG. 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.
This report will be put onto the HSE website at www.hse.gov.uk/nuclear/llc/2005/index.htm
NII Inspectors (including visits by the site inspector and specialist NII assessment inspectors) made the following visits to Hinkley Point “A” in the period covered by this report:
18 th to 21 st July
15 th to 18 th August
5 th to 8 th SeptemberThe removal of all nuclear fuel from site has resulted in a reduction in the perceived nuclear hazard to the public. However, NII recognise that the hazard to workers on site is increasing as decommissioning activities escalate.
NII were unhappy with the time taken to recover casualties at the Level 1 emergency exercise on 19 th July 2005. However, the exercise was repeated successfully on 25 th October following extensive practice drills.
The NII remain sceptical in relation to with the sites current intermediate level waste storage plans. NII await a justification for this strategy.
During this quarter the NII have inspected the site arrangements against the Ionising Radiation Regulations. This has lead to an extensive list of improvements that the site have agreed to implement by December 2005.
The NII have welcomed Magnox Electric Ltd proposals to strengthen their organisation at Hinkley in safety significant areas.
The NDA have recently announced a draft strategy for accelerated decommissioning of their nuclear sites including Hinkley Point A. NII are in consultation with these proposals.
Magnox Electric Ltd have declared their intention to reorganise into three new separate companies. The NII will assess the safety implications of this under Licence Condition 36 (organisational change).
NII did not exercise their formal powers in this quarter.
J A Burrows
Hinkley Point A Site Inspector
HM Inspector (Health and Safety)
Health and Safety Executive
HM Nuclear Installations Inspectorate
St Peter’s House
Bootle
Merseyside
L20 3LZ
July 2005