HSE banner

GE Healthcare Ltd, Grove Centre Site, Amersham

Quarterly report for 1 July – 30 September 2008

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 GE Healthcare Ltd Grove Centre Local Liaison Committee (LLC) and covers activities associated with the regulation of safety at the site.  These reports are distributed quarterly and are available also from the Internet at http://www.hse.gov.uk/nuclear/llc/index.htm.  Site Inspectors of HM Nuclear Installations Inspectorate attend some LLC meetings and will be happy to respond to any questions raised there by members.  Any other person wishing to inquire about matters covered by this report should contact the HSE’s Nuclear Directorate on 0151-951-3484.

Nuclear Directorate
Health and Safety Executive
Redgrave Court
Merton Road
Bootle
Merseyside
L20 7HS

Inspections

1.    NII inspections were made on 24-25 September 2008.  Inspections are also made at GE Healthcare Ltd’s nuclear licensed sites at Cardiff (the Maynard Centre) and Harwell.  Where these are relevant to the Grove Centre they are included below.  For instance, the sites have many arrangements in common for compliance with the conditions attached to their site licences.

This quarter the Annual Review of Safety (ARoS) for all GE Healthcare Sites took place at the Grove Centre Amersham on 25 September 2008. Safety and regulatory issues affecting the Maynard Centre and GE Harwell site were discussed during this meeting.

[back to top]

Routine matters

2.         Inspections at Site. Inspections are undertaken at site as part of the process for monitoring compliance with:

  1. the conditions attached by HSE/NII to the Nuclear Site Licence;
  2. the Health and Safety at Work etc Act (HSWA) 1974 and
  3. regulations made under the HSWA for example the Ionising Radiations Regulations 1999 and the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999.

This entails monitoring licensee’s actions on the site in relation to incidents, operations, maintenance, projects, modifications, safety case changes and any other matters which may affect safety. The licensees/operators are required to make and implement adequate arrangements under the conditions attached to the Licence in order to ensure legal compliance. Inspections seek to judge both the adequacy of these arrangements and their implementation. In this period routine inspections of the Grove Centre and discussions covered:

  1. An Emergency Exercise on 24 September provided an adequate demonstration of the current Site Emergency Plan. There were areas such as the forward control point (FCP) and emergency Control Centre (ECC) where individual and group performances were noted as very good.
  2. Two themed inspections the first on Asset Maintenance (Civil Engineering) and the second on Dose Control (ALARP - As Low As Reasonably Practical) were carried out by specialist NII assessors. Initial feedback has revealed good practices and procedures across the site. Additional Dose Control inspections are planned in 2009.
  3. Minor amendments to the Grove Centre Emergency Plan have been proposed. The existing plan is Approved by the NII.  The revision to the plan will require a new Approval under Site Licence Condition 11.  Discussions continue between the site staff and NII to progress this action.

3.     Issues arising from these and previous inspections are being pursued.

[back to top]

Non-routine matters

4. Licensees are required to have arrangements to respond to non-routine matters and events. NII inspectors judge the adequacy of the licensee’s/operators response including actions taken to implement any necessary improvements. There are no items of particular note during the current reporting period

Corporate

5. The Annual Review of Safety (ARoS) meeting for all GE Healthcare UK sites is held at the Maynards Centre and Grove Centre on alternate years. This year the ARoS was held at the Grove Centre Amersham. Issues associated with the Maynards Centre and Harwell site were discussed at this meeting.

Grove Centre

6.  An inspection was made of asset maintenance and decommissioning of civil structures. The feedback from the NII assessor was positive and supported the good practices witnessed on site.

7.  The first of a series of ALARP inspections has taken place at the Grove centre. The purpose of this inspection is to ensure that the site dose control systems and operating procedures keep individual radiation doses recorded by site employees "As Low As Reasonably Practical."

[back to top]

Regulatory activities

8.     Under Health and Safety legislation NII Site Inspectors, and other HSE Inspectors, may issue formal documents to ensure compliance with regulatory requirements. Under Nuclear Site Licence conditions HSE/NII issues regulatory documents, which either permission an activity or requires some form of action to be taken; these are collectively termed Licence Instruments (LIs). In addition inspectors may issue enforcement notices to secure improvements to safety. Three letters were sent to site confirming we concur with the licensee proposals for modifications or project work.  The table below lists the main correspondence.

Letter Dated Title
16 July 2008 Installation of a stock hoist into the Drytec Manufacturing Facility in Building 29.6B
24 July 2008 Laboratory 1 – Provision of Abatement  Combined PSR/PCSR (Ventilation System)
25 July 2008 Building 29 - New Drytec Liquid Effluent Facility

         (There is an outstanding Approval request for the Grove Centre Emergency Plan.)

9.     No other issues have arisen that have required formal regulatory action.