- Site: Sellafield
- IR number: 20-047
- Date: October 2020
- LC numbers: 36
Executive summary
Purpose of Intervention
The Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR) undertakes all regulatory interaction with the Sellafield site licensee (Sellafield Limited (SL)) against a strategy defined by the ONR Sellafield, Decommissioning, Fuel and Waste (SDFW) Division. The planned inspection schedule for 2020/21, updated as a result of the COVID-19 Pandemic, identifies the Licence Conditions (LCs) that will be inspected during this period.
The purpose of this inspection was for ONR to determine the adequacy of implementation of SL’s arrangements for compliance with LC 36 (Organisational capability) at the Thermal Oxide Reprocessing Plant (THORP).
The overall adequacy of SL's site-wide LC 36 arrangements is considered separately in other ONR interventions.
Interventions Carried Out by ONR
We, the Site Inspector for THORP and the Sellafield Corporate Inspector, carried out a planned LC 36 compliance inspection at THORP. The inspection focused on:
- SL’s Nuclear Baseline for THORP (i.e. the means by which SL demonstrates the adequacy of its organisational structure, staffing and competencies to manage nuclear safety);
- The change process followed by THORP when implementing changes to the organisational structure.
The inspection comprised discussions with SL staff, a review of records and the sampling of information contained within electronic databases and other documentation.
Explanation of Judgement if Safety System Not Judged to be Adequate
Not applicable since this was not a safety system based inspection.
Key Findings, Inspector's Opinions and Reasons for Judgements Made
We found that overall THORP has adequately implemented the Sellafield arrangements for LC 36. We note that one organisational change did not followed the full site due process, but this was identified by THORP and the shortfalls managed using the Site’s LC 7 (Incidents on the site) arrangements.
Our findings were shared with, acknowledged and accepted by THORP’s management as part of normal inspection feedback.
Conclusion of Intervention
On the basis of the evidence sampled at the time of the inspection, we judge that THORP has adequately implemented SL’s arrangements for LC 36. Noting the ONR guidance on inspection ratings, it is our opinion that an inspection rating of Green (no formal action) is merited.