HM Naval Base Clyde

Quarterly report for 1 January 2009 to 31 March 2009

Inspections
Routine Matters
Non Routine Matters
Regulatory Activity

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 Clyde Local Liaison Committee (LLC) and covers activities associated with the regulation of nuclear safety at H M Naval Base Clyde. These reports are distributed quarterly and are also available on HSE's web site at http//www.hse.gov.uk/nuclear/llc/index.htm

Site Inspectors of HM Nuclear Installations Inspectorate usually attend LLC meetings and will respond to questions raised there or subsequently by members of the LLC.

Inspections

The majority of sites inspected by HM Nuclear Installations Inspectorate (NII) a part of the Health and Safety Executive are licensed by HSE/NII under the Nuclear Installations Act 1965 (as amended). HM Naval Base Clyde is not a licensed site although it operates under Authorisation from the Ministry of Defence (MoD) Defence Nuclear Safety Regulator (DNSR). The site comprises the Faslane and Coulport facilities and is regulated by HSE/NII through other legislation as noted below. This report summarises the inspection and regulatory activities associated with HM Naval Base Clyde which are coordinated with inspections by DNSR. The focus for HM Naval Base Clyde is safe and timely servicing of the UK's Nuclear submarine fleet. This is being progressed through provision of facilities on the site which are being upgraded to meet the continued operational requirements of the Base.

The HSE/NII Site Inspector made inspection visits to the site on the following dates during the quarter: -

11th and 12th February

A HSE/NII Radiation Protection Specialist Inspector visited the site on 12th February.

Routine matters

Inspections on site are undertaken are taken as part of monitoring compliance with:

The Health and Safety at Work etc Act (HSWA) 1974 and
Regulations made under the HSWA for example the Ionising Radiations Regulations1999 (IRR99), the Radiation (Emergency Preparedness and Public Information) Regulations 2001 (REPPIR) and the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 (MHSW99)

The Site Inspector and Radiation Protection Specialist Inspector discussed the outstanding findings from the IRR99 inspection in 2007 with the Base Radiation Protection Advisor, Base Radiological Safety Officer and Radiation Safety Officer. We agreed that all extant actions can be closed on the basis that a repeat IRR99 inspection is now planned for the end of 2009. The findings from the last inspection will form the start point for the re-inspection and we will seek evidence of the implementation of the improvements.

The Site Inspector attended a planning meeting for the forthcoming Emergency Exercise Short Sermon, to be held later in 2009.

Non-routine matters

Operators are required to have arrangements to respond to non-routine matters and events. NII Inspectors judge the adequacy of the operator's response including actions taken to implement any necessary improvements.

There were no items of particular note during the current reporting period.

Regulatory activity

Under Health and Safety legislation NII Site Inspectors, and other HSE Inspectors, may issue enforcement (Crown) notices to secure improvements to safety.

No enforcement (Crown) notices were issued during the quarter.

Changes to HSE's nuclear directorate

In early 2008 the Government initiated a review into the UK's nuclear safety regulatory regime, led by Dr Tim Stone. The recommendations and the UK's Government response were published at the end of January 2009. One of the major recommendations is the decision by Government to establish the Health and Safety Executive's (HSE) Nuclear Directorate (ND) as a Statutory Corporation under the auspices of the HSE.

The creation of this new, autonomous body, (which will continue to incorporate the Office for Civil Nuclear Security and the UK Safeguards Office) will facilitate a more sustainable approach to regulating nuclear safety and security within a rapidly changing global nuclear environment and recruitment of high calibre of staff within a hardening market place for highly specialised skills.
The restructuring 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.

Enabling work continues for the initial scoping and planning of the work-streams and programmes necessary for the Statutory Corporation to come into being from April 2010. This project has required the temporary enhancement of ND's senior management capability in order to deliver existing regulatory work and to create the Statutory Corporation.