- Site: Sellafield
- IR number: 20-077
- Date: December 2020
- LC numbers: 28
Executive summary
Purpose of Intervention
In accordance with the Office for Nuclear Regulation’s (ONR’s) Sellafield Strategy, each year ONR performs a series of planned compliance inspections of selected licence conditions, targeted at those facilities with significant importance to nuclear safety. One such inspection was performed to assess the Special Nuclear Materials (SNM) Value Stream’s compliance with Sellafield Ltd’s (SL’s) corporate arrangements for Licence Condition 28 (LC 28) (Examination, Inspection, Maintenance and Testing).
Interventions Carried Out by ONR
I carried out an LC28 compliance inspection of SNM (South) focussing my sample on Finishing Line 6.
Explanation of Judgement if Safety System Not Judged to be Adequate
Not applicable as this was not a System Based Inspection.
Key Findings, Inspector's Opinions and Reasons for Judgements Made
From the inspection sample, I found that SNM had prepared an appropriate Plant Maintenance Schedule (PMS). I found that in line with the PMS specified intervals Examination, Inspection, Maintenance and Testing had been undertaken by suitably qualified and experienced persons in accordance with written schemes. Also, I saw evidence that there was appropriate control and supervision by persons appointed for that purpose. For the sample I found that adequate records were available.
I identified one minor shortfall in relation to SNM’s ability to demonstrate whether all Examination, Inspection, Maintenance and Testing Instructions were being reviewed in line with the periodicity required by SL’s Corporate Arrangements. In addition, at the inspection SNM self-identified some potential anomalies with some instruction instrumentation parameter settings that were not resolved during the inspection. SNM will raise Condition Reports for the anomalies and process in line with the Corporate arrangements. I will raise two level four Regulatory Issues to follow-up both matters as part of routine regulatory business.
Conclusion of Intervention
I judged from the evidence sampled that SL has effectively implemented its arrangements for compliance with LC 28 for SNM and I have assigned an inspection rating of Green (no formal action) for compliance against this LC. Two level four (i.e. lowest level) regulatory issues has been raised to manage the two matters identified.