Emergency arrangements - NII response to a class 1 (CIVIL) event

Site inspection and enforcement

INS/016 - Issue 4

Issue date:: 27/04/09
Review date:: 27/04/12
Open Government Status:: Fully open
Approved By:: R Gray

1. Purpose and scope

1.1 This document gives NII policy for responding to an off-site nuclear emergency at a UK civilian licensed site - a Class 1 (civil) event in NII's emergency arrangements. It sets the procedure NII will follow in responding to such an event.

2. Policy

2.1 For an off-site nuclear emergency at a UK civilian licensed site, NII will: witness, monitor and record operators actions; take enforcement action if appropriate; and provide advice to other government departments and the Government Technical Adviser (GTA). NII's response will be led and managed by the NII Response Centre Director.

2.2 To meet the commitments in para 2.1, NII will: ascertain the facts surrounding the emergency; assess the safety of the affected site, including the licensee's proposed actions; deploy NII staff as required; and formulate NII strategy and response.

2.3 NII will deploy staff to the affected site, the Off-Site Facility (OSF) / or Strategic Co-ordination Centre (SCC) or other technical support centre, and the National Emergency Briefing Room (NEBR) in Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) in London, or the Scottish Government (SG) at the Scottish Government Resilience Room (SGoRR), in Edinburgh. NII will provide advice to these teams during the event.

2.4 NII will advise the DECC or SG on the appointment of a GTA. The GTA will normally be a Deputy Chief Inspector (DCI) of NII. NII will also provide a team to support the GTA

3. Responsibilities

3.1 The Nominated Inspector is responsible for: mobilisation of the Chief Inspector (CI) / deputy; dispatching the site inspector or a suitable alternative; alerting an Emergency Response Group (ERG) member to mobilise NII resource; alerting two Superintending Inspectors (SIs), to report to the NII Response Centre; and alerting the Health Protection Agency - Radiological Protection Division (HPA-RPD). He / she identifies inspectors to become the Director and Deputy Director of the NII Response Centre.

3.2 The Chief Inspector (or deputy ) is responsible for: confirming the NII response with the Nominated Inspector; alerting the GTA designate; alerting a member of the Executive to the event; alerting the DECC or SG as appropriate on the appointment of a GTA; alerting inspectors who form the NII NEBR / SGoRR Team; briefing government ministers on request; and co-ordinating NII media strategy.

3.3 The Emergency Response Group (ERG) is responsible for: alerting other inspectors and administrative staff needed to support NII's emergency response; organising emergency travel arrangements; and establishing the NII Response Centre.

3.4 The NII Response Centre Director is responsible for: leading and managing NII's emergency response (see fig 1a ); providing advice and support to the Chief Inspector; supporting remote teams as required; providing advice to the GTA team as requested; providing a rolling brief to the Chief Inspector, HSE Secretariat and HSE Press Office etc; co-ordinating regulatory actions as appropriate; and monitoring the licensee's activities.

3.5 The NII Response Centre Team supports the NII Response Centre Director in discharging his / her responsibilities.

3.6 The NII Site Team is responsible for: ascertaining the facts on the emergency including establishing the adequacy of actions taken to secure a safe plant state and the advice given to authorities off site; submitting routine reports on events at site to the NII Response Centre; and representing NII at or near the site if required.

3.7 The NII Off-Site Facility (OSF) / Central Emergency Support Centre (CESC) Team is responsible for: providing advice and support to the NII Response Centre Director; considering all aspects of the emergency which affect the site; providing advice to the OSF Strategic Co-ordinating Group as necessary; advising the GTA as appropriate; and representing NII at local press briefings.

3.8 The NII NEBR / SGoRR Team represents NII in the NEBR / SGoRR, supports the CI / deputy, and liaises with the NII Response Centre Director.

3.9 The Government Technical Advisor (GTA) is an NII inspector appointed by the Department of Energy and Climate Change or the Scottish Government and is responsible for providing authoritative co-ordinated advice to the police and other authorities handling the off-site response to the emergency, A small team of NII inspectors will support the GTA at the OSF.

4. Definitions

4.1 Class 1 (Civil) Event - An Off-Site nuclear emergency at a civilian licensed site, which is defined as;

A nuclear event which has affected (or has the potential to affect) members of the public and for which the site has invoked its approved emergency plan and set up its off-site facility.

4.2 Off-Site Facility

A generic term for an ancillary emergency facility, located at some distance from the licensed site, where measures to protect the public are co-ordinated.

For power reactor sites in England and Wales, the functions of the OSF are divided between the Local Emergency Centre (LEC) near to the site and the Central Emergency Support Centre (CESC) in Gloucester. The function of the CESC is to acquire and assess all relevant technical data and provide advice based on this assessment to the LEC. For power reactor sites in England and Wales, the NII team attends the CESC rather than the LEC (whereas the GTA and his supporting team of nuclear inspectors attend the LEC).

For some sites the CESC and LEC functions are combined at one location. In these cases the NII and GTA teams will work at the combined OSF.

4.3 Nuclear Emergency Briefing Room

The NEBR is located in London for briefing central government and co-ordinating any national response to a large civil nuclear event in England or Wales.

4.4Scottish Government Resilience Room

The SGoRR is located in Edinburgh, for briefing the Scottish parliament and co-ordinating a Scottish response to a large civil event in Scotland.

5. Procedure: Mobilisation of NII resource

5.1 Nominated Inspector

The Nominated Inspector will have been informed of a nuclear event by the duty Admin Office or the HSE Duty Officer. The Nominated Inspector will have followed the procedure on notification and classification, and hence made a return call and obtained sufficient information to classify the event as Class 1 (civil). The Nominated Inspector will then;

Record on Checksheet 1 the details of those contacted on following this procedure.
Contact the CI or deputy (not a DCI, see Emergency Arrangements Communications Directory (EACD) List 4) and inform the CI / deputy of the event; confirm its classification and the proposed NII response.
Contact the site inspector or suitable alternative (EACD List 2 or 3) and dispatch them to site; ask them to liaise with the NII Response Centre when they are close to site.
Alert a member of the ERG (EACD List 8) and request their mobilisation as ERG Inspector 1; discuss with the ERG member the composition of the NII Response Centre team ( Checksheet 5 contains details).
Alert two Superintending Inspectors (EACD List 1), and ask them to proceed to the NII Response Centre (taking an overnight bag if appropriate and warrant if travelling from home).
Alert an inspector to become Deputy Director (EACD List 14), and ask them to proceed to the NII Response Centre.
Alert NRPB (EACD List 7) stating the name of the site and confirming the OSF is being set up.
If you are on the list of NII Response Centre Directors (EACD List 15), proceed to the NII Response Centre (taking Checksheet 1 ); if not, contact an appropriate inspector (EACD List 15), pass them the information on Checksheet 1, and ask them to proceed to the NII Response Centre and assume the position of Director on arrival.

5.2 The Chief Inspector / deputy

Having been notified of a Class 1 (civil) nuclear event by the Nominated Inspector, the CI / deputy will:

Confirm the classification of the event, and record basic information on Checksheet 2 .
Record on Checksheet 2 the names of those contacted on following this procedure.
Alert the GTA designate (EACD List 5) and ask them to proceed to the NII Response Centre (with an overnight bag if appropriate and warrant if travelling from home).
Contact DECC or Scottish Government (EACD List 7) and recommend the appointment of the GTA.
Alert two inspectors (EACD List 12) and ask them to proceed to either the NEBR (see para 4.3 ) or the SGoRR (see para_4.4 ).
Alert a member of the Executive as appropriate (EACD List 6).
Maintain appropriate contact with the NII Response Centre (EACD List 13) and advise it of contact telephone numbers, and if personally responding to the event, mobile communication links and planned destination.
Consider whether the Executive should be advised to consider the implementation of HSE's Major Incident Respone and Investigation Policy and Procedure arrangements.

5.3 Emergency response group members

An ERG member will be alerted to the event by the Nominated Inspector. The initial duties of the ERG are split between two inspectors.

ERG Inspector 1

1) Following consultation with the Nominated Inspector, and whilst following this procedure, record the relevant details on Checksheet 3 .

2) Contact a second ERG member (EACD List 8) and ask them to carry out the duties of ERG Inspector 2.

3) Alert a Health Physicist (EACD List 9) and ask them to proceed to the NII Response Centre with an overnight bag if appropriate and a warrant (if no health physics inspectors are available select an alternative from EACD List 3).

4) Alert four Remote Team inspectors (EACD List 11) and ask them to proceed to the NII Response Centre with an overnight bag if appropriate and a warrant.

5) Then proceed to the NII Response Centre, and assume the position of NII Response Centre Inspector 1 on arrival.

ERG Inspector 2

6) Following consultation with ERG Inspector 1, and whilst following this procedure, record the relevant details on Checksheet 4 .

7) If out of hours, alert the Redgrave Court reception to inform them that the Redgrave Court Incident Suite is to be opened up to deal with a nuclear emergency.

8) If emergency air transport is considered to be essential, alert the Defence Crisis Management Centre (EACD List 7) requesting them to invoke SOP 207, Helicopter Lift of Senior Government Officials. Advise that NII will re-establish contact shortly, when it will ask for details of a collection point and time.

9) Alert five members of the administration staff for NII Response Centre duties (EACD List 10), and ask them to proceed to the NII Response Centre.

10) Then proceed to the NII Response Centre, and assume the position of NII Response Centre Inspector 2 on arrival.

Deployment and operation of NII

5.4 The NII Response Centre Team

The NII Response Centre Team for a Class 1 (Civil) Nuclear Event normally comprises: the Director who will have been the initial Nominated Inspector, or will have been appointed by that inspector; Deputy Director; Inspectors 1 and 2; Lead Administration Officer; Communications Officer; two Administration Officers; and the Rolling Brief Officer.

NII Response Centre Director

1) Confirm the roles and responsibilities of NII Response Centre team members and brief them on the event.

2) Identify any immediate actions and issues for the NII Response Centre team.

3) Confirm the initial Strategy and Focus for the NII Response Centre.

4) Form the assembled NII staff into teams. Complete Checksheet 5 to record the roles.

5) Brief the GTA and NII OSF / CESC team before their departure.

6) Dispatch remote team inspector to site to assist the Site Inspector.

7) Send the draft initial press statement at Checksheet 6 (amended as necessary) to the HSE Press Office (EACD List 6).

8) Select external organisations to be notified using the proforma at Checksheet 7 and pass to Administration Officers for action.

9) Agree the content of the NII rolling brief prior to its routine issue.

10) Identify and confirm NII specialist inspectors to carry out any necessary assessments (recording the names of NII specialist staff supporting the NII Response Centre on Checksheet 5 ).

11) Routinely review strategic aims and focus.

12) Co-ordinate NII regulatory actions.

13) Develop plans for the relief of staff.

NII Response Centre Deputy Director

14) Manage and co-ordinate activities in the NII Response Centre.

15) Equip NII OSF / CESC team with site information and NII team packs including fax machines and mobile phones.

16) Equip the GTA team with site information pack, GTA information packs and mobile phone.

17) Re-establish contact with the Defence Crisis Management Centre (EACD List 7) and arrange emergency air transport if this is considered essential.

18) Confirm whether GTA / NII team require a police escort and arrange for Merseyside Police if necessary to provide support (EACD List 7).

19) Maintain the Strategic Aim and Focus board.

20) Identify actions arising from the Focus board.

21) Maintain the Action board with support from the Lead Administration Officer.

22) Brief and deploy NII teams responding to the event.

23) If the NII Site team reports that it is experiencing difficulty in gaining access to the site because of road blocks, traffic congestion etc, contact the local police to arrange access.

24) Record information from telephone calls etc. on the appropriate form and pass these to the Communications Officer for logging.

NII Response CentreInspector 1

25) Obtain information on the event as it develops and seek additional relevant information.

26) Monitor and review licensee's activities in response to the event.

27) Identify issues where advice should be sought from NII specialist expertise.

28) Provide responses to issues raised by the NII Response Centre Director.

29) Provide advice to the NII Response Centre Director on the licensee's contingency planning arrangements for repair / recovery.

30) Record information from telephone calls etc. on the appropriate form and pass these to the Communications Officer for logging.

NII Response Centre Inspector 2

31) Collate information on the event.

32) Update the information boards with plant status and developments on site.

33) Assist the Rolling Brief Officer in preparing the NII Rolling Brief according to Checksheet 8 .

34) Ensure the Internet is routinely reviewed; and assist Inspector 1 in monitoring the licensee's activities.

35) Record information from telephone calls etc. on the appropriate form and pass these to the Communications Officer for logging.

The NII Response Centre Lead Administration Officer

36) Manage administration support for the NII Response Centre.

37) Ensure the NII Response Centre equipment is operational and the appropriate documentation, maps and stationery are available.

38) Ensure in conjunction with the Deputy Director the appropriate equipment, documentation and stationery is ready for issue to NII teams who will be deployed to off-site facilities.

39) Support the NII Response Centre Deputy Director in updating the information boards.

40) Ensure incoming and outgoing communications are managed effectively by NII Response Centre staff.

41) Manage the reporting on information boards which are not the responsibility of the Deputy Director of NII Response Centre.

42) Manage and co-ordinate any staffing shift changes in conjunction with the NII Response Centre Director.

The Communications Officer

43) Manage the distribution of incoming phone calls into the NII Response Centre.

44) Where appropriate, record information for distribution to the NII Response Centre team.

45) Maintain and co-ordinate a list of phone calls into and out of the NII Response Centre.

Administration Officers 1 and 2

46) Collate and distribute incoming communications.

47) Send outgoing data such as faxes as required.

48) Carry out photocopying for the NII Response Centre team; and organise hotel accommodation for NII teams deployed to site.

49) Support Inspector 2, including the operation of the RIMNET terminal.

The Rolling Brief Officer

50) Prepare, with the support of Inspector 2, the NII Response Centre Rolling Brief ( Checksheet 8 ), consulting him/her on points of clarification.

51) Liaise with the NII Response Centre Director on the issue of the Rolling Brief.

5.5 The NII Site Team

The NII Site Team for a Class 1 (civil) event normally comprises the site inspector and a second inspector to provide a shift rota system.

If the site inspector is on site at the time the event occurs, he / she should proceed to the Emergency Control Room. They should confirm that the Nominated Inspector has been notified and that a return call has been received. If a return call has not been received within 30 minutes, they should ask for a repeat notification.
If difficulties are experienced in gaining access to the site because of road blocks etc. contact the NII Response Centre Deputy Director who will arrange access via the local police.
Notify NII Response Centre of your arrival on site and present yourselves to the site emergency controller.
Ascertain the facts surrounding the emergency and the actions taken to secure plant safety.
Ascertain the actions given to authorities off the site.
Make routine briefing reports to the NII Response Centre Team on the licensee's activities.
Where possible, maintain a record of events witnessed and identify information which may be relevant to subsequent investigations into the emergency and its consequences, including the preservation of essential evidence.
Be prepared to represent NII at or near the site.

5.6 The NII OSF / CESC Team

The OSF / CESC team is nominally staffed by one SI, as team leader; one remote team inspector to support and deputise for the team leader; and one additional remote team inspector.

NII OSF / CESC Team Leader

1) Represent NII in the OSF / CESC and provide advice to the OSF Strategic Co-ordination Group as appropriate.

2) Liaise with and provide advice and support to the NII Response Centre Director

3) Manage the NII OSF / CESC team, to ensure all aspects of the emergency are obtained from the licensees technical support organisation.

4) Provide co-ordinated NII advice to the GTA as requested.

Remote Team Inspector 1

5) Deputise for the team leader as required

6) Gather information on all aspects of the emergency at the site from the licensee at the OSF / CESC.

7) Liaise with NII Response Centre Inspector 1 on technical briefing requirements.

Remote Team Inspector 2

8) In co-ordination with Inspector 1 gather information on all aspects of the emergency at the site from the licensee at the OSF / CESC.

9) Establish and maintain contact with NII Response Centre Inspector 2.

10) Provide routine briefing reports to the NII Response Centre team following advice from the NII Response Centre Director.

5.7 The NII NEBR / SGoRR Team

The NEBR / SGoRR team initially comprises two inspectors who are alerted by the CI / deputy. The CI / deputy may attend the NEBR / SGoRR in due course.

CI / deputy

1) Brief the Secretary of State and other government ministers on request.

2) Co-ordinate NII media strategy in conjunction with the HSE Press Office, NII Response Centre and SPD, and represent NII at national press conferences.

NEBR / SGoRR Inspectorial Support

3) Establish communications with the CI / deputy (EACD List 4), and provide support as required.

4) Establish communications with the NII Response Centre (EACD List 13), and liaise with the NII Response Centre Director.

5) Establish communications with HSE via the Secretariat (EACD List 6).

6) Monitor press releases made by the operator and other organisations and advise the CI / deputy accordingly.

7) Provide advice to the CI / deputy on the need to attend the NEBR / SGoRR.

8) Represent NII in the NEBR / SGoRR in the absence of the CI / deputy, and respond to requests from the DECC / Scottish Government.

6. Associated Documents

6.1 Overview of NII response to nuclear events, NII Emergency Procedures Handbook.

6.2 INS/015 - Initial Notification and Event Classification.

6.3 Emergency Arrangements Communications Directory, NII Emergency Procedures Handbook.

Class 1 (civil) Checksheet 1 - Nominated Inspector

CI / deputy	name	--------------------------------------------
	phone no.	--------------------------------------------

Site Inspector	name	--------------------------------------------
	phone no.	--------------------------------------------

ERG Inspector 1	name	--------------------------------------------

NII Response Centre Deputy Director	name	--------------------------------------------

SI 1	name	--------------------------------------------

SI 2	name	--------------------------------------------

NRPB	name	--------------------------------------------
	phone no.	--------------------------------------------
	date and time of call	--------------------------------------------

NII Response Centre Director	name	--------------------------------------------

Class 1 (civil) Checksheet 2 - CI / deputy


Nominated Inspector	name	--------------------------------------------
	phone no.	--------------------------------------------

Name of site		--------------------------------------------
Date and time of incident		--------------------------------------------
Reactor / plant affected		--------------------------------------------
Number of known fatalities		--------------------------------------------
State of plant safety parameters		--------------------------------------------
		--------------------------------------------
		--------------------------------------------
		--------------------------------------------

GTA	name	--------------------------------------------

DEC/SG	name	--------------------------------------------

NII NEBR/SGoRR Team
inspector 1	name	--------------------------------------------
inspector 2	name	--------------------------------------------

Executive member	name	--------------------------------------------

Class 1 (civil) Checksheet 3 - ERG Inspector 1

Nominated Inspector	name	------------------------------------------------------------
	phone no.	------------------------------------------------------------

Name of site		------------------------------------------------------------
Date and time of incident		------------------------------------------------------------

ERG Inspector 2	name	------------------------------------------------------------

Health Physicist	name	------------------------------------------------------------

Four Remote Team Inspectors	name	------------------------------------------------------------
	name	------------------------------------------------------------
	name	------------------------------------------------------------
	name	------------------------------------------------------------

Class 1 (civil) Checksheet 4 - ERG Inspector 2

Nominated Inspector	name	------------------------------------------------------------
	phone no.	------------------------------------------------------------

Name of site		------------------------------------------------------------
Date and time of incident		------------------------------------------------------------

Lead Administration officer	name	------------------------------------------------------------
Communications officer	name	------------------------------------------------------------
Administration officer 1	name	------------------------------------------------------------
Administration officer 2	name	------------------------------------------------------------
Rolling Brief officer	name	------------------------------------------------------------

Class 1 (civil) Checksheet 5 - NII Response Centre Director

TEAM POSITIONS TO BE FILLED

NIIResponse Centre Team		NII OSF / CESC Team
Director	--------------------------	Team Leader (SI)	-----------------
Deputy Director	--------------------------	Remote Team Insp 1	-----------------
Inspector 1 (ERG 1)	--------------------------	Remote Team Insp 2	------------------
Inspector 2 (ERG 2)	--------------------------		------------------
Lead Admin Officer	--------------------------
Comms officer	--------------------------
Admin Officer 1	--------------------------
Admin Officer 2	--------------------------
Rolling Brief Officer	--------------------------

NII Site Team		GTA Team
Site Inspector	--------------------------	GTA	-----------------
Remote Team Insp.	--------------------------	SI Support	-----------------
		Remote Team Insp.	-----------------
		Health Physics Insp.	-----------------

Specialist Inspector Support to NII Response Centre (as required)
Inspector 1	--------------------------
Inspector 2	--------------------------
Inspector 3	--------------------------
Inspector 4	--------------------------

Class 1 (civil) Checksheet 6 - NII Response Centre Director

INITIAL PRESS STATEMENT

IF EXERCISE, PREFACE MESSAGE WITH EXERCISE NAME .....................................................................

HM Nuclear Installations Inspectorate (NII) has been informed at .......... hours today ........................(day and month) o f an incident at the .............................site.

The site's emergency plan has been put into operation.

The NII has implemented its own nuclear emergency procedures and is responding to the incident. The NII has set up its own emergency room, and NII Inspectors have been sent to the site and to the off-site emergency facility.

NII is responsible for monitoring the activities of ...........................(licensee / operator) and advising central government. No further information about this incident is available at this time.

Class 1 (civil) Checksheet 7 - NII Response Centre Director

STANDARD NOTIFICATION MESSAGE

IF EXERCISE, PREFACE MESSAGE WITH EXERCISE NAME ...................................................................

To	-------------------------------------------
Telephone no. used	-------------------------------------------
Contact name	-------------------------------------------
Time	----------------------------------

This is the Nuclear Installations Inspectorate NII Response Centre. NII has been informed at ......... hours today of an emergency at the........................ site.

The site's nuclear emergency plan has been put into operation.

The local off-site facility has been activated, from where measures to protect members of the public will be co-ordinated.

NII is implementing its own nuclear emergency procedures and is responding to the emergency.

NOTE: IF EXERCISE, STATE:

This is a communications test, no further action, I repeat no further action is required from you.

Message Ends.

ORGANISATIONS TO BE NOTIFIED (Note: DECC / SG alerted by CI / deputy)

Mandatory

1. HSE Secretariat (EACD List 6)
2. Health Protection Agency – Radiological Protection Division

Consider:-

3. Scottish Government Welsh Office (EACD List 7)
4. Environment Agency or Scottish Environmental Protection Agency
5. Department of Transport (EACD List 7)
6. Air Traffic Control Centre (EACD List 7)
7. Defence Crisis Management Centre (EACD List 7)
8. FOD Area Director (e-HR accessible from within the NII Response Centre)

Class 1 (civil) Checksheet 8 - NII Response Centre Team Inspector 2

NII Response Centre- ROLLING BRIEF

To:	Chief Inspector	Brief Number:
	Government Technical Advisor	Date:
	NII CESC/OSF Team Leader	Time:
	NEBR/SGoRR/NAIAG	Exercise:	Yes / No
	HSE Secretariat	(delete as appropriate)
	HSE Press Office	Exercise Name:	___________________________

1. Plant Details

Name of Installation	__________________________________________________
Location
Time of Incident
Status of Incident
INES Rating