- Site: Hinkley Point B
- IR number: 19-091
- Date: September 2019
- LC numbers: 17
Executive summary
Purpose of Intervention
The purpose of this intervention was twofold:
- To assess safety culture at Hinkley Point B Power Station through participation in a pilot intervention by EDF Nuclear Generation Limited’s (NGL) Independent Nuclear Assurance (INA);
- To evaluate the approach taken to providing assurance on safety culture, which I rated under the Nuclear Site Licence Condition 17 (LC17) – Management Systems.
The intervention was not planned in accordance with ONR’s Integrated Intervention Strategy (IIS) for Hinkley Point B of 2019/20, but was undertaken as the opportunity arose to attend and to provide consistency with similar interventions at other stations.
Interventions Carried Out by ONR
As nominated Site Inspector I joined a team of three EDF staff, including a specialist in human and organisational factors who led this safety culture surveillance. This surveillance, based on approaches used by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), comprised interviews, focus groups and evaluation of meetings and selected documents.
My evaluation of the surveillance was informed by ONR guidance on LC17 (NS-INSP-GD-017 and ND-TAST-GD-080) available on our website, IAEA guidance available on its website, and operational experience from carrying out similar interventions as a qualified ONR specialist in human and organisational factors.
One routine Site Inspector interactions are also recorded in the report.
Explanation of Judgement if Safety System Not Judged to be Adequate
Not applicable – no system based inspections were performed during this intervention.
Key Findings, Inspector's Opinions and Reasons for Judgements Made
The surveillance was the third in a series that INA will carry out across all EDF NGL stations. Altogether the team interviewed over 100 staff.
The surveillance found that safety culture was strong at Hinkley Point B Power Station, and identified opportunities for further improvement that the Station undertook to act upon.
I concluded that this was an effective exercise of EDF NGL’s assurance arrangements under LC17
Conclusion of Intervention
Feedback to the Station on the safety culture findings were presented by INA and the opportunities for improvement accepted. I gave feedback on the approach to safety culture assurance directly to INA and rated it ’Green – no formal action’ under LC17.
There were no findings from this inspection that significantly undermine nuclear safety or which would result in changes to the planned interventions and inspections of Hinkley Point B Power Station.