- Site: Sellafield
- IR number: 19-119
- Date: October 2019
- LC numbers: 11
Executive summary
The Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR) undertakes all regulatory interactions with Sellafield Limited (SL, the site licensee) against a strategy defined by the ONR Sellafield Programme. The inspection schedule, identifies the Licence Conditions (LCs) that will be inspected.
This planned intervention was undertaken to determine if the Retrievals Value Stream is adequately implementing SL’s site-wide arrangements and local specific arrangements for compliance with Licence Condition 11 (emergency arrangements). The intervention targeted the implementation of SL’s arrangements within Pile Fuel Cladding Silo (PFCS), a facility about to undertake operations to retrieve stored wastes from the silos as part of the hazard and risk reduction programme across the Legacy Ponds and Silos estate at Sellafield. It is important, therefore, that the facility’s emergency arrangements are adequate and that ONR has confidence that the Licensee’s response to any foreseeable event will be appropriate and effective. This inspection is complementary to ONR’s inspection of SL’s site wide demonstration of compliance with LC 11 emergency arrangements that is led by ONR’s infrastructure inspector.
Interventions Carried Out by ONR
Licence Condition 11 (LC11) requires the licensee to make and implement adequate arrangements for dealing with any accident or emergency arising on the site and their effects.
The inspection, comprised discussions with SL staff, examination of plant documentation and inspection of facilities and equipment. It focussed on the following areas:
- The Retrievals Value Stream and local (PFCS) implementation of SL’s LC11 arrangements
- Evidence regarding the training and competence of personnel associated with LC11
- The adequacy of facilities and equipment to support emergency management within PFCS
- Evidence regarding the planning and conduct of training exercises on emergency management.
Explanation of Judgement if Safety System Not Judged to be Adequate
This was not a system based inspection, and therefore no judgement has been made of the adequacy of implementation of any part of the safety case.
Key Findings, Inspector's Opinions and Reasons for Judgements Made
It is our opinion that the licensee has adequately implemented its arrangements for compliance with LC11. We consider the Retrievals Value Stream’s implementation of the site’s arrangements for LC11 is good. The staff interviewed had a good knowledge of the extant arrangements and provided some good supporting evidence. The use of cross Retrievals resources provides good emergency staffing and equipment coverage
We consider the inspection merits an IIS rating of GREEN (no action required) against LC11.
Our findings regarding those areas where we noted opportunities for minor improvements were accepted by the Retrievals team.
Conclusion of Intervention
From the evidence sampled during these inspections, we judge that there was sufficient evidence that the licensee’s formal arrangements for compliance with Licence Condition 11 are being implemented adequately. No additional follow-up regulatory action is required and no ONR Regulatory Issues were raised.