Skip to content

EDF Internal Nuclear Assurance report into Covid-19 social distancing

Date released
14 May 2020
Request number
FOI202004003
Release of information under
Freedom of Information Act 2000

Information requested

  1. the EDF Internal Nuclear Assurance report into social distancing (covid-19) measures at HPC;
  2. any covering correspondence which accompanied the report; and
  3. what date the report was received by ONR.

Information released

  1. In relation to your first request, please find attached the EDF Internal Nuclear Assurance report into Covid-19 social distancing.
  2. In relation to your second request, please find attached two documents. These entail the covering email which accompanied the report, and ONR’s Contact Record which summarises the teleconference held on 7 April 2020. Arrangements for this teleconference are referred to in the covering email.
  3. In relation to your third request, the report was received by ONR on 7 April 2020.

Some information has been withheld because it contains personal data. The personal data has been withheld using the exemption section 40(2) of the FOIA. In particular, release of the information would breach principle (a) of GDPR (lawfulness, fairness and transparency) on the grounds that there is no lawful basis to process this data. In addition, releasing this personal data would also breach principle (b) of GDPR (purpose limitation) as the data was provided for the purposes of report ownership or incidentally over the course of email exchanges.

NNB’s internal regulator (Independent Nuclear Assurance -INA) assessment of the HPC site’s compliance with Covid-19 social distancing measures examined the adequacy and effectiveness of NNB’s Covid 19 control measures in the following areas:

  • Arrangements for self-isolation
  • Arrangements for sickness reporting / case management/ site removal
  • Travel to Site
  • Site Access Points
  • Hand Washing, Toilet Facilities and Changing Rooms / Showers
  • Canteens and Eating Arrangements
  • Work on site – Avoidance of close working
  • Meetings
  • Cleaning
  • Communications
  • Organisational Learning

The report was completed by the licensee’s internal regulator in early April.  Of the eight areas for improvement identified (and detailed in the internal assurance report we have released) six have been addressed. The remaining two areas for improvement are;

  • Touchscreens - the majority have been disabled and work to disable the final systems is in progress.
  • Social distancing - there is good compliance with social distancing generally, and a small number of areas where this was observed not to be the case.  Workers are being regularly reminded to ensure appropriate behaviours at all times and we will continue to monitor until there is widespread compliance.

Exemptions applied

Section 40(2)

PIT (Public Interest Test) if applicable

N/A