Emergency arrangements - NII response to a class 2 event

Site inspection and enforcement

INS/018 - Issue 4

Issue date:: 28/04/09
Review date:: 28/04/12
Open Government Status:: Fully open
Approved By:: R Gray

1. Purpose and scope

1.1 This document gives NII policy for responding to an on-site nuclear emergency at a UK nuclear site - a Class 2 Event in NII's emergency arrangements. It sets the procedure NII will follow in responding to such an event.

2. Policy

2.1 The response of NII to a Class 2 event is flexible and may range from that for a Class 1 to that for a Class 3 event. The functions of NII in such an event are:

to monitor events on site and the actions taken to restore plant safety;
to advise central government.

3. Responsibilities

3.1 The Nominated Inspector is responsible for considering the extent of the response in consultation with a Deputy Chief Inspector (DCI), who should also inform the Chief Inspector (CI).

4. Definitions

4.1 Class 2 Event : On-site nuclear emergency at a nuclear site, is defined as:

A nuclear event which has minimal or no effect on members of the public but for which the site has invoked its approved emergency plan.

4.2 Nuclear site : Either a licensed site, or a MoD site which NII regulates under the Ionising Radiation Regulations.

5. Procedure

The Nominated Inspector will have been informed of a nuclear event by the ONR 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 to the operator and obtained sufficient information to classify the event as Class 2.

5.1 The Nominated Inspector must advise the operator that all further contact with the NII is to be made directly to themselves until told otherwise.

5.2 The Nominated Inspector must contact the CI / deputy and the DCI for the affected site, or failing that, any other DCI, to consider the initiation of the following actions:

Immediately despatch the Site Inspector to site (possibly with a supporting inspector);
Advise Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC), Scottish Government or MoD of NII's response;
Advise other regulatory government departments of NII's regulatory response;
Organise the provision of advice, on demand, to other government departments;
Set up a team of Inspectors in the NII Response Centre; and
Raise a "Fast Stream" report - See INS/011 .

5.3 The Nominated Inspector should make use of ERG members to assist him in any action taken.

5.4 The Nominated Inspector should advise the operator of NII's actions in response to the alert.

5.5 The DCI should liaise with the CI / deputy concerning the action taken.

5.6 The CI/DCI should consider whether the Executive should be advised to implement HSE's Major Incident Response and Investigation and Procedures arrangements.