Search

---

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 Trawsfynydd Site Stakeholder Group (SSG) and covers activities associated with the regulation of safety at Trawsfynydd. These reports are distributed quarterly and are also available on the HSE’s website at http://www.hse.gov.uk/nuclear/llc/index.htm. Site Inspectors of HM Nuclear Installations Inspectorate normally attend SSG meetings and will be happy to respond to any questions raised there or subsequently by members of the SSG. 

---

Inspections

The Nuclear Installations Inspectorate (NII) Site Inspector made inspections on the following dates during the quarter:

• 21-23 September 2010

[back to top]

---

Routine matters

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

• the conditions attached by HSE/NII to the nuclear site licence;
  
• the Health and Safety at Work etc Act (HSWA) 1974 and
  
• 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 licensee is 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 Trawsfynydd covered:

• Staff training, qualifications and experience.
• Emergency preparedness.

In general the arrangements made and implemented by Trawsfynydd 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.

A team from NII witnessed Level 1 Demonstration Emergency Exercise Nerone on 5 May 2010, which was covered in the last report. As a result of one of the findings from that exercise, NII witnessed shift exercise Feta on 21 September 2010. NII found the exercise to be an adequate demonstration of the site’s arrangements. Whilst there had been improvement in all areas, there was one area where NII would have expected greater improvement. NII has therefore required the licensee to do a further shift exercise, which Magnox North’s Assurance Team will witness.

NII has started work on the site’s Periodic Safety Review (PSR), which was submitted in April 2010. The project inspector visited the site.

[back to top]

---

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

[back to top]

---

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.

One LI was issued to the licensee during the quarter:

• LI 519 - 23 July 2010 - Agreement to change the decommissioning programme date for final site clearance from 14/7/2100 to 8/9/2085
• No enforcement notices were issued during the reporting period.

Transforming our business 

Although the previous government's proposal to establish a separate Office for Nuclear Regulation is still with ministers for consideration, the challenges of interacting with and regulating the modern nuclear industry in the UK remain. As a response to this ND has established a change programme focusing on improved ways of working and improved engagement with stakeholders; this programme also reflects the organisation's aim to be recognised as a world-class regulator.  

While ND is committed to rising to the challenge of implementing major organisational and operational change, it will not be distracted from taking forward its ongoing high priority work to secure the protection of people and society from the hazards of the nuclear industry.

ND is committed that throughout this process of transformation its stakeholders are kept fully informed of the changes and any decisions that are made regarding the future structure of the Regulator; this will be achieved through reports such as the Stakeholder Group reports and on the HSE Website.

9 November 2010

• Home
• News
• Guidance
• About you
• About HSE
• Notify HSE