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HM Nuclear Installations Inspectorate

HM Nuclear Installations Inspectorate

NRTE VULCAN, at Dounreay

Quarterly report for 1 April to 30 June 2005

CONTENTS

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 site available to the public. It is for distribution to members of the dounreay local liaison committee (llc) and covers activities associated with the regulation of nuclear safety at the vulcan naval reactor test establishment (nrte). These reports are distributed quarterly and are also available on hse’s web site at http://www.hse.gov.uk/nuclear/index.htm . Site inspectors of hm nuclear installations inspectorate usually attend llc meetings and will respond to questions raised there by members of the llc. Any other person wishing to enquire about matters covered by this report may contact the hse’s nuclear directorate on 0151-951-3484/3290.

Nuclear directorate
Health and safety executive
Redgrave court
Merton road
Bootle
Merseyside
L20 7hs

 

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INSPECTIONS

1.         Visits are made to the nrte vulcan, at dounreay for the purpose of undertaking routine plant and project inspections or meeting site management or safety representatives.  Nii inspectors visited these sites during the quarter on the following dates:

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ROUTINE MATTERS

  1. Nii’s normal method of business is to inspect nrte vulcan in accordance with a planned inspection programme and to discuss any matters arising with site staff.  Inspections are undertaken for the purpose of monitoring compliance with the relevant provisions of the health and safety at work etc. Act (1974) including the ionising radiations regulations 1999 (irrs), and the radiation (emergency preparedness and public information) regulations 2001 (reppir) at the two sites.

Meetings are also held routinely to discuss matters that affect the continued safe operation of the base.  Discussions are also held with the ministry of defence regulator, on matters of mutual interest.

Inspection topics covered during the above visits included:

  1. Attendance at the second meeting of the dounreay stakeholders group, which has assumed the role of the dllc;
  2. Attending the planning meeting for the annual demonstration of the emergency arrangements at lone star 05;
  3. A review of the trials programme at the site;
  4. Inspecting the records of events reported, and actions taken at the site;
  5. A review of the training programme and preparations for forthcoming emergency exercise ‘lone star 05;

In general, the inspections indicated that the site staff are continuing to manage and control the activities in a satisfactory manner, and no significant issues were identified.

 

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NON-ROUTINE MATTERS

3.         Nothing to report.

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REGULATORY ACTIVITY

4.         The inspectorate has taken no formal enforcement action on the base during this period.