Research Sites Restoration Limited (RSRL) Winfrith site

Winfrith site stakeholder group quarterly report for 1 October to 31 December 2010

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 Winfrith Site Stakeholder Group (SSG) and covers activities associated with the regulation of safety at the RSRL Winfrith 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 Winfrith on the following dates during the quarter

12th October
9th – 10th November
8th December

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 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 Winfrith covered:

Incidents on the Site
Decommissioning

Incidents

The Site Inspector monitored the Winfrith incident register throughout the reporting period, no incidents of note were identified.

Decommissioning

The Inspector monitored progress with the decommissioning of the Winfrith EAST Treatment Plant(WETP) and the External Active Sludge Tanks(EAST). The Inspector witnessed the monitoring of potentially contaminated materials arising from the decommissioning of WETP, clean material was sentenced for recycling and contaminated material for disposal as Low Level Waste. The Inspector examined the record keeping arrangements for both these waste streams and no issues were identified.

The Inspector observed the intrusive work being carried out to facilitate cleaning the inside of the External Active Sludge Tanks.

Trade union safety representatives

The Inspector held regular meetings with the Winfrith Trade Union Safety Representatives during the reporting period including a meeting with Regional Union Officers to discuss the RSRL proposal to downsize the RSRL on-site emergency response capability at Winfrith.
In general the arrangements made and implemented by RSRL Winfrith 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 Winfrith, and the site inspector(s) 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.
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. There are 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 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.

No Licence Instruments were issued during the reporting period.

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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:

The HSE Nuclear eBulletin (visit www.hse.gov.uk/nuclear/ebulletin to subscribe);
Site stakeholder group and local liaison committee reports;
ND's newly re-launched website (www.hse.gov.uk/nuclear).

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