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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 Sizewell A and B Stakeholders Group (SSG) and covers activities associated with the regulation of safety at Sizewell B.  These reports are distributed quarterly and are also available on the HSE’s web site at http://www.hse.gov.uk/nuclear/llc/index.htm. Site inspectors of HM Nuclear Installations Inspectorate usually attend SSG meetings and will respond to questions raised there by members of the SSG.

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Inspections

The Nuclear Installations Inspectorate (NII) made inspections at Sizewell B on the following dates during the quarter:

• 16 - 17 April 2009
• 30 April - 1 May 2009
• 14 - 15 May 2009
• 20 - 22 May 2009
• 2 - 4 June 2009
• 11 - 12 June 2009

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Routine matters

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 station covered:

• Incidents on the site.
• Emergency preparedness.
• Examination, Maintenance, Inspection and Testing.
• Management of operations including control and supervision.
• Modifications to plant, equipment and safety cases.
• Staff training, qualifications and experience.
• Radioactive waste management.

In general the arrangements made and implemented by the station in response to safety requirements were deemed to be adequate in the areas inspected. However, where improvements were considered necessary, satisfactory commitments to address the issues were made by or are being sought from the licensee, and the site inspector will monitor progress during future visits. Where necessary, formal regulatory enforcement action will be taken to ensure that appropriate remedial measures are implemented to reasonably practicable timescales.

The site based Emergency exercise “Sobek” was held during the period.  NII was satisfied that the station provided an adequate demonstration of the emergency arrangements and provided feedback on improvements that should be made.

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Non-routine matters

Licensees are required to have arrangements to respond to non-routine matters and events. NII inspectors judge the adequacy of the licensee’s response including actions taken to implement any necessary improvements.

An inspection which included international regulators from the United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission was hosted by the station.  The inspection also included NII inspectors from the Nuclear Reactor Generic Design Assessment Division of Nuclear Directorate and the Environment Agency’s site inspector.  The theme for the inspection was the management of radioactive waste.  All of the regulators found the station staff helpful and open and noted the generally good material condition and high housekeeping standards in the areas inspected.  A small number of weaknesses in the stations’ arrangements were identified which will be resolved.

Sizewell B is developing plans and a strategy for long term spent fuel management.  A Best Practicable Environmental Option Decision Conference was arranged to help select the most appropriate technologies and locations for spent fuel management.  This Decision Conference was observed by NII and EA inspectors who concluded that it provided a systematic and transparent means of decision making, and offered suggestions on how the process could be improved in future.

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 (available on HSE’s website: http://www.hse.gov.uk/nuclear/stonereview.htm ).

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.

For access to this consultation please see http://decc.gov.uk/en/content/cms/consultations/hse_restruct/hse_restruct.aspx 

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 any way compromise the current regulatory activities of ND.

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Regulatory activity

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 (LI). In addition inspectors may issue enforcement notices to secure improvements to safety.

LI 518 was issued 7th April 2009 granting an Approval for changes to the Nuclear Safety Committee’s terms of reference and arrangements for urgent safety proposals.

HM Nuclear Installations Inspectorate, Date 8 July 2009
Redgrave Court
Merton Road
Bootle L20 7HS

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