- Site: Hunterston B
- IR number: 20-042
- Date: September 2020
- LC numbers: N/A
Executive summary
Purpose of Intervention
This was a planned inspection at Hunterston B Nuclear Power Station, undertaken as part of the intervention strategy for Operating Facilities Division.
The purpose of the intervention was to ensure that the Licensee was demonstrating compliance with the requirements of the Fire (Scotland) Act 2005 to ensure the safety of people from the danger of fire.
Interventions carried out by ONR
This intervention was a planned remote Compliance Inspection undertaken against the life safety requirements of the Fire (Scotland) Act 2005.
The intervention was completed remotely due to COVID-19 restrictions. ONR could not therefore directly inspect the implementation of fire safety management procedures or assess directly the effectiveness of the activities being undertaken on the site or independently confirm actual compliance with Company processes.
Explanation of Judgement if Safety System Not judged to be Adequate
Not Applicable
Key Findings, Inspector's Opinions and Reasons for Judgements Made
The Fire Coordinator described that there had been a lot of work to maintain fire safety management standards as a consequence of Covid-19 precautions. There were a number of areas of industry good practice explained during the intervention, including:
- Reprioritisation of the routine fire risk assessment review programme to ensure all high risk facilities are complete and documents are in date.
- Additional resource planned to support the Fire Coordinator.
- Extra training courses arranged to ensure the programme of fire safety input is maintained across the site. Practical fire extinguisher training has not been adversely impacted due to the on-site fire facility.
- EDF arrangements for sharing experience between fire coordinators via monthly teleconference provides helpful expertise and consistency to actions arising from virus precautions.
Progress on the following items, identified during the last site inspection, has been adversely affected by the reduction of staff attending site due to virus precautions;
- Adoption of the Fleet database for control of combustibles in laydown areas is delayed.
- Including Area Owners during the fire risk assessment process has proven difficult to implement fully. However the priority aim of ensuring significant findings are resolved in a timely manner, is being achieved.
I did not identify any significant departures from compliance that will require follow up as part of regulatory interactions. No matters were identified as requiring immediate regulatory attention during the course of the compliance intervention.
Conclusion of Intervention
I concluded that the sampled areas of fire safety arrangements, within the limitations of remote inspection, are compliant with the legislation and that there are a number of examples of best practice.
I have rated the outcome of this inspection as GREEN.