The Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR) recently held its second Transport Competent Authority (TCA) stakeholder event to engage with members of the nuclear transport community and maintain confidence and trust in ONR’s independent regulation.
ONR’s role as Competent Authority and Enforcing Authority means it is responsible for the safety, security and safeguarding of the civil transport of radioactive material (Class 7 dangerous goods) by road, rail and inland waterways within Great Britain.
This encompasses a wide range of materials including flasks carrying spent nuclear fuel from reactors, radiopharmaceuticals needed for medical treatments, and sealed radioactive sources used for testing and measurement in the construction industry.
ONR inspectors work with organisations that transport radioactive material to ensure they fulfil regulatory obligations.
The TCA event in Birmingham allowed these stakeholders to meet ONR inspectors in person, understand how ONR operates and discuss relevant regulatory issues.
It also enabled ONR to hear stakeholder feedback, which will be used to steer future regulatory work.
This dialogue aligns with ONR’s strategic theme of ‘inspiring stakeholder confidence’.
The TCA event featured presentations by ONR inspectors, as well as speakers from Nuclear Transport Solutions and the National Carriage of Dangerous Goods Practitioners Forum.
Attendees also had the opportunity to network with each other and take part in Q&A panels.
Geoff Frackelton, ONR’s Head of TCA, said: “I was pleased that the event was well attended by the transport community, including nuclear licensees, non-nuclear sectors, trade associations, other regulators and transport safety professionals.
“Attendees were keen to learn, question and challenge with the common purpose of ensuring the safe and secure transport of radioactive materials.”
Paul Butler, an ONR transport inspector and the TCA event chair, said: “It was great to see stakeholders from across the Class 7 transport sector sharing their experiences and expertise and the feedback they provided will assist us in upholding ONR’s ultimate mission of protecting society by securing safe nuclear operations”.
Further information regarding ONR’s role in the transport of radioactive material is available on the ONR website.