- Site: Sellafield
- IR number: 21-002
- Date: April 2021
- LC numbers: 11
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 2021/22, identifies the Licence Conditions (LCs) that will be inspected during this period. This intervention was postponed from 2020/21 due to the COVID19 pandemic and national lockdown.
The purpose of this inspection was for ONR to determine the adequacy of implementation of SL’s arrangements for compliance with LC 11 (Emergency arrangements) at the Low Active Effluent Storage Group (LAEMG).
The overall adequacy of SL's site-wide LC 11 arrangements is considered separately in other ONR interventions.
Interventions Carried Out by ONR
I, the Site Inspector for Effluent and Encapsulation Plants, carried out a planned LC 11 compliance inspection at LAEMG. The inspection focused on:
- LAEMG’s implementation of the SL arrangements for LC11;
- LAEMG’s arrangements with respect to a leakage of liquor from a storage tank in B241, a fault with the potential for off-site consequences.
The inspection comprised discussions with SL staff, a review of records, the sampling of information contained within electronic databases and other documentation and a plant inspection.
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
I found that LAEMG has adequately implemented the Sellafield Limited arrangements for LC11, including, where applicable, variations made in response to the COVID19 pandemic and national lockdowns. Through the process of sampling the planned emergency response to a leakage of liquor in B241, LAEMG provided:
- evidence that it has local arrangements to support LC11,
- evidence that it has produced and implemented and exercise schedule,
- a sample of personnel with emergency arrangements duties identified that they have been trained in their emergency roles, and
- evidence that emergency equipment is available and maintained.
One minor shortfall was identified in relation to electrical cables found beyond their test date. SL accepted the finding and, in my judgement, this was not significant enough to warrant formal follow up or affect the inspection rating.
My findings were shared with, acknowledged, and accepted by LAEMG’s management as part of normal inspection feedback.
Conclusion of Intervention
On the basis of the evidence sampled at the time of the inspection, I judge that LAEMG has adequately implemented the SL arrangements for LC 11, and it is my opinion that an inspection rating of Green (no formal action) is therefore appropriate.