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 the above site available to the public. It is for distribution to members of the Dounreay Site Stakeholder Group (DSSG) and covers activities associated with the regulation of safety at Dounreay. 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 Dounreay SSG meetings and will respond to questions raised there by members of the Dounreay SSG. Any other person wishing to inquire about matters covered by this report should 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
NII Site Inspectors and Specialist Inspectors visited Dounreay on the following dates:-
The Dounreay arrangements for complying with LC 7 were inspected and the arrangements for Operating Experience Feedback(OEF) were examined. The inspection found that Dounreay had adequate arrangements in place for complying with LC 7 and these arrangements were in line with NII’s expectations. The arrangements set out clear requirements for reporting, recording and investigating incidents on the site. Inspection of the Dounreay site’s OEF process confirmed that the site had a well structured OEF process. However, the inspection did reveal some areas for improvement in respect to the effectiveness of some of the OEF activities.
Management of safety related alarms
The arrangements for managing safety related alarms were inspected by a specialist NII Inspector. The inspection covered the requirements set down in the Dounreay standards and guidance for alarm management and the implementation of these requirements across the site.
The site standards and guidance are set down in a number of different documents. It was not clear whether these documents presented a consistent approach to the requirements for alarm management. In addition, it was not clear whether the requirements were being fully implemented across the site and whether they were being applied to new facilities under development. DSRL were asked to ensure consistency of requirements in their standards and guides and to establish the extent of implementation of these requirements.
The active commissioning programme of the NaK Disposal Plant was interrupted following leaks of active liquor from the ion exchange clean-up part of the plant. No release of activity to the environment occurred and there was no radiation exposure of personnel. These incidents were investigated and a letter written to DSRL requiring plant improvements prior to the recommencement of the active commissioning programme.
Following completion of modifications to the controls of the Goliath Crane at DFR, a Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations(LOLER) inspection was carried out by the Competent Person in July which discovered wiring errors in safety equipment. NII carried out an investigation which resulted in a letter to DSRL requiring technical improvements and also improvements in the control of plant modifications and in the control of contractors on site. DSRL has responded adequately to the requirements of the letter.
In September, NII was informed of the discovery of a steel plate placed in front of a radiation detector which resulted in the under reading of radiation measurements. DSRL conducted an investigation which could find no proof of deliberate actions to interfere with the detector. NII has expressed its concern to DSRL on the implications of possible deliberate interference with safety equipment with respect to the Health and Safety at Work Act.
NII has started assessment of these projects and a technical meeting was held in August.
On 16th and 17th September HM Deputy Chief Inspector Mr K Allars visited Dounreay. Mr Allars met with representatives of the work force and senior managers and accompanied Inspectors during their inspection activities at the Dounreay Fast Reactor and a number of facilities in the Fuel Cycle Area.
In July, NII Inspectors attended a meeting to discuss proposed revisions to the Dounreay Fuel Strategy.
1998 HSE/SEPA Audit
The final report of the 1998 HSE/SEPA audit
has been placed on the HSE website.
Decommissioning activities at the Pulse Column Laboratory have been suspended following a number of positive results from the routine radiation monitoring of workers in the Laboratory. DSRL are investigating the matter and the follow up monitoring indicates that any radiation doses are likely to be very small.
The Inspectorate has powers under the Licence to issue Consents, Approvals and Directions. In addition, the Inspectorate uses Licence Instruments to issue Specifications, Acknowledgements, and Agreements under either the conditions attached to the Licence, or arrangements made by DSRL for complying with those conditions.
No Licence Instruments(LI’s) were issued during the 3rd quarter of 2008.