Inspectors in our Nuclear Internal Hazards and Site Safety specialism ensure safety systems, structures and components at nuclear sites across the UK are safe and that risks are being appropriately managed.
Ensuring that systems, structures and components are safe is vital to protect workers and the public against radiation releases and other hazards to health, safety and welfare.
The specialism consists of three disciplines regulating nuclear internal hazards, life fire safety and nuclear site health and safety (including major accident hazards) on all ONR regulated nuclear sites.
Nuclear internal hazards are classed as hazards that present a significant threat to safety at a nuclear site. These hazards come from within the nuclear site’s structures, systems and components which are controlled by the licensee. They include fire safety, explosion, internal flooding, steam release, rotating machinery and toxic or corrosive gas releases amongst others.
Regular inspections are undertaken by the specialism to ensure the licensee has adequate (i.e. meets the required standard) arrangements in place to protect engineering systems and equipment from damage. These measures safeguard the public and workers against the possibility of a release of radiation.
The specialism also considers nuclear site health and safety - conventional health and safety - at all ONR regulated nuclear sites. It considers the management of risks arising from hazards to workers and members of the public from all work activities on these nuclear sites.
Many of the health and safety areas regulated at nuclear sites by the specialism also have a direct impact on nuclear safety. Priority areas for our regulatory focus include:
- construction operations (including new nuclear build and decommissioning);
- work at height;
- hazardous substances (including asbestos and legionella);
- work in confined spaces;
- electricity;
- machinery safety;
- workplace transport; and
- exposure to noise and vibration.