Office for Nuclear Regulation
An agency of HSE

Research Sites Restoration Limited (RSRL) Harwell site report - Q4 2010

Harwell Chilton campus local stakeholder group quarterly report for 1 October to 31 December 2010

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 Harwell Site Stakeholder Group (SSG) and covers activities associated with the regulation of safety at the RSRL Harwell nuclear licensed site.  These reports are distributed quarterly and are also available on the HSE’s web site at www.hse.gov.uk/nuclear/llc/2010/index/htm.  The Site Inspectors of HM Nuclear Installations Inspectorate (NII) attend SSG meetings and will respond to questions raised there by members of the SSG. 

Inspections

The Nuclear Installations Inspectorate (NII) Site Inspector made inspections at RSRL Harwell on the following dates during the reporting period,

  • 13th - 14th October
  • 24th October
  • 16th – 16th December

Routine matters

ections 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 RSRL Harwell covered:

Emergency arrangements

The annual demonstration of the RSRL Harwell emergency arrangements was witnessed by a team of NII Inspectors.  The exercise was centred around a fire in a building on the site that required the onsite emergency teams and the offsite emergency services to respond to the fire and effect a rescue of contaminated casualties. The exercise was deemed to be an adequate demonstration of the Harwell site emergency arrangements.

The inspector participated in an exercise of the off site emergency arrangements for the Harwell site. The exercise was deemed to be an adequate demonstration of the Oxfordshire County Council off site emergency plan for the Harwell site.

Incidents

The Site Inspector monitored the Harwell incident register throughout the reporting period. Two incidents of note are described under Non-Routine Matters below.

Operational records

The Site Inspector examined the arrangements for the keeping of records of operations involving the processing and storage of radioactive waste at a number of facilities across the site. Detailed records associated for a selection of waste drums were examined including the quantity of radioactive material in each drum, the physical form of the waste and current location of the drums.

Safety documentation

The Site Inspector examined the arrangements for the production of safety documentation for a number of facilities across the site including safety documentation for operational facilities and activities and those facilities that are about to undergo decommissioning.

Restrictions on nuclear matter on the site

The Site Inspector examined the arrangements for storage of nuclear matter on the site. Radioactive waste stores were visited to inspect the arrangements for containment of radioactive waste, the procedures for handling and moving of waste packages, records of quantities of radioactive waste being stored, the storage location and arrangements for the periodic examination of the integrity of waste packages.    

Safety mechanisms devices and circuits

The Site Inspector examined the arrangements for provision of safety mechanisms devices and circuits at a facility on the site. Specific safety mechanisms were selected for a detailed examination of their operability and the arrangements for ongoing maintenance and testing.
In general the arrangements made and implemented by RSRL Harwell 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 RSRL Harwell, 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.
Harwell Regulatory Forum Meeting

The Site Inspector attended the Harwell Regulatory Forum Meeting during this reporting period. At the meeting RSRL outlined their proposals for:

  • accelerating the decommissioning of facilities on the Harwell site
  • the transfer radioactive material from Harwell to other nuclear sites and
  • the relicensing of the Harwell site to include the site currently occupied by GE Healthcare Ltd. 

The Site inspector will be involved in discussions on these proposals with RSRL and other interested parties during the next reporting period.

Routine meeting with trade union safety representatives

The Site Inspector held routine meetings with the Trade Union Safety Representatives during this reporting period.

Routine interactions with RSRL and other regulators were progressed through regular monthly videoconference meetings.

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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/operators response including actions taken to implement any necessary improvements. Matters of particular note considered during the reporting period include the following:

RSRL informed the Site Inspector of two incidents that occurred on the Harwell site during this reporting period.  The first incident related to the unexpected discovery of two small radioactive sources in a building on the site. The second incident related to work that had been carried out at a facility that was outside the scope of the relevant safety case. The Inspector was satisfied that RSRL had investigated both incidents in accordance with their arrangements for Licence Condition 7(Incidents on the Site), in an appropriate manner. RSRL provided NII with copies of the investigation reports and the Site Inspector will review these reports and consider an appropriate course of action.

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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.

The following Licence Instruments were issued during the quarter:

  • LI No 511 Consent to lease buildings B528.10 and B528.11 to Canberra UK Ltd
  • LI No 512 Consent to lease building B528.3 to Canberra UK Ltd
  • LI No 513 Consent to Lease building B443.40 to GE Healthcare Ltd
  • LI No 516 Consent to lease building B443.39 to GE Healthcare Ltd
  • LI No 517 Agreement to Proceed with the Normal Operation of the B462.27 Vault Store

Transforming HSE Nuclear Directorate

HSE’s Nuclear Directorate (ND) continues work on a programme of change entitled 'Transformation' which is intended to help ND realise its aims to become recognised as a world-class regulator. Over the coming months, ND’s focus will include improving the way it engages with all of its stakeholders, including communities around nuclear licensed sites, to explain the work that it does and the regulatory decisions it makes.

ND will keep stakeholders fully informed of changes and any decisions that are made through channels including:

If you have any comments, questions or suggestions regarding ND’s Transformation programme, please get in touch by emailing ONRenquiries@hse.gsi.gov.uk.

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Updated 17.08.11