International experts have scrutinised and confirmed the UK's thorough review of fire safety arrangements at nuclear sites, coordinated by the Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR) as part of a European peer review.
The European Nuclear Safety Regulators Group (ENSREG) selected the topic of fire safety for their second Topical Peer Review (TPR 2), a regular international benchmarking process required of European Union (EU) member states under the revised Nuclear Safety Directive.
Following the UK’s departure from the EU, it is now an observer at ENSREG and decided to voluntarily take part in TPR 2.
Each participant country submitted a national assessment report, which was peer reviewed by experts from other countries. The UK’s report, authored by representatives from six GB licensees and inspectors from ONR’s Nuclear Internal Hazards and Site Safety specialism, was commended for clearly illustrating the findings of the country’s self-assessment, allowing a meaningful peer review.
Reviewers listed four areas of good performance, defined by ENSREG as “a significant accomplishment for the country [that] has been undertaken and implemented effectively… and is worthwhile to commend.” These were:
- The nuclear sector-wide review of combustible cladding risks, instigated by ONR to identify and implement transferable learning from the Grenfell fire;
- At Sizewell B, the independent verification of hot work (any work involving open flames or producing heat or sparks) in addition to the assessment by the Hot Work Selected Person and review by the Hot Work Controller for enhanced control of work areas;
- Across Hinkley Point C, Sizewell B and second-generation advanced gas-cooled reactors, the use of position monitoring on fire doors and hatches forming part of the nuclear fire compartment boundaries, which initiate an alarm in the main control room if a door is left open; and
- At Sellafield Waste Facilities, the implementation of automatic fire suppression to transport tug engines across the site.
The reviewers also agreed with three areas for improvement identified by the UK’s report:
- The need for systematic consideration of combined and consequential hazards at Springfields Fuels Limited;
- The implementation of a proportionate approach to link the day-to-day management of combustible loads at the Dounreay Prototype Fast Reactor with the fire loading assessments in the nuclear safety case; and
- The completion of the programme of holistic fire safety strategies at Sellafield.
Participants across Europe are now developing action plans to address the TPR 2 recommendations.
Diego Lisbona, ONR’s Head of Profession for Nuclear Internal Hazards and Site Safety, said: “The publication of the TPR 2 findings culminates efforts from industry and ONR to benchmark UK nuclear fire safety with practices from across Europe.
“We’re pleased that UK approaches have been recognised as areas of good performance. The emergence of no new findings from the peer review illustrates the effectiveness of the UK regulatory regime for nuclear fire safety.”
