Berkeley nuclear licensed site report - Q2 2009

Quarterly report for 1 April to 30 June 2009

Inspections
Routine matters
Non-routine matters
Regulatory activities

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 Berkeley Site's Site Stakeholder Group (SSG) and covers activities associated with the regulation of safety at Berkeley Site. These reports are distributed quarterly and are also available on the HSE's website. Site Inspectors of HM Nuclear Installations Inspectorate attend SSG meetings and will respond to questions raised there by members of the SSG.

Proposed changes to the status of HSE's Nuclear Directorate

The Government has put forward proposals to change the status of HSE's Nuclear Directorate (ND) to that of a Statutory Corporation under the auspices of the HSE. This is intended to enable ND, as the independent nuclear regulator of safety and security, to better meet the challenges of a changing nuclear industry over the coming years. The changes are to provide the nuclear regulator with greater flexibility and increase the accountability, transparency and openness of nuclear regulation. The Government are proposing that the statutory changes needed to bring this about will be made by a Legislative Reform Order (LRO).

This builds on the outcome of the Government initiated review of the UK's nuclear regulatory regime, led by Dr Tim Stone. The Summary Recommendations and the Government's response were published at the end of January 2009.

A public consultation, run by DWP and DECC, on the LRO was launched on June 30th for a 12 week period, which gives the opportunity for stakeholders to comment on the proposals.

These new arrangements will not change the substance or standards of regulation or compromise the independence of the nuclear regulatory body, and will not affect the decisions it takes or the international obligations the Government requires it to meet.

Subject to the outcome of the consultation and Parliamentary approval, and if the Parliamentary timetable permits, the aim is to bring the new body into being during 2010.

An internal change programme is currently operating within ND to ensure that the ND is ready to operate as a statutory corporation from spring 2010.

This programme does not in anyway compromise the current regulatory activities of ND.

Inspections

The Nuclear Installations Inspectorate (NII) Site Inspector visited Berkeley Site during the quarter. Inspections were made on the following days:

27-29 April 2009
19-20 May 2009
25 June 2009

Routine matters

Compliance inspections

Routine inspections are undertaken for the purpose of monitoring compliance with (i) the conditions attached by HSE to the nuclear site licences, and (ii) other relevant provisions of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974, including the Ionising Radiations Regulations 1999.

No routine inspections were made this quarter.

Non-routine matters

Licence Condition 36 attached to Berkeley Site's Nuclear Licence requires the Licensee to have adequate arrangements to control organisational change. Magnox South Ltd is proposing a significant reduction in staffing levels at Berkeley Site. This is justified in a management of change document (MoC 70). During the last quarter NII specified that MoC 70 be submitted to NII for scrutiny and not implemented without the agreement of NII.

During this quarter the proposed re-organisation has been inspected on three separate occasions. These inspections looked at the adequacy of the remaining staffing and progress of projects required to facilitate reduced manning. The site safety case is also under assessment as this underpins the decommissioning strategy which again affects the reorganisation.

As a result of these inspections HMNII have requested further justification of the reduced manning levels.

Regulatory activities

Licence instruments

As part of its regulation under nuclear site licences, NII issues regulatory documents, collectively termed Licence Instruments. No such Instruments were issued this quarter.

Under Health and Safety legislation the Site Inspector, or other HSE Inspectors, may issue formal notices to secure improvements to safety. No such notices were issued during the reporting period.