- Site: Sellafield
- IR number: 21-050
- Date: June 2021
- LC numbers: 11
Executive summary
Purpose of Intervention
Sellafield Ltd has requested ONR agreement to commence active commissioning of the waste retrievals plant installed on Pile Fuel Cladding Silo (PFCS) compartment 5. The commencement of active commissioning and subsequent waste retrievals represents a change in risk from the current care and surveillance operations and introduces the potential for a waste fire occurring in the waste retrievals plant. As such, Sellafield Ltd has installed additional firefighting capability to tackle metal fires to provide further mitigation in the event of a waste fire occurring in the waste retrievals plant.
The purpose of this inspection was to gain assurance that the changes to PFCS Licence Condition 11 (LC11) arrangements are adequate and can be effectively implemented. The findings of the inspection will be used to inform the decision in response to Sellafield Ltd’s request for ONR agreement to commence active commissioning of the waste retrievals equipment installed on PFCS compartment 5 (ONR-SDFW-PAR-20-018).
ONR undertakes a programme of compliance inspections of the Licensee’s LC11 emergency arrangements at both a site wide and local facility level. The overall adequacy of Sellafield Ltd’s LC11 arrangements is considered separately in other ONR interventions, this inspection focused on the local emergency response arrangements which will change once active commissioning and waste retrievals commence from PFCS compartment 5
Interventions Carried Out by ONR
Licence Condition 11 (LC11) requires the licensee to make and implement adequate arrangements for dealing with any accident or emergency arising on the site and their effects.
The inspection targeted aspects of the local emergency response arrangements on PFCS which will be implemented to support waste retrieval operations. The scope of the inspection considered:
The adequacy of the emergency response arrangements prepared to reflect the forthcoming change in operational status, including implementation.
The adequacy of the facilities and equipment to support emergency management within PFCS.
To achieve this, the inspection comprised discussions with Sellafield Ltd staff, examination of emergency instructions, inspection of facilities and equipment, observation of a desktop exercise and demonstration of Sellafield Fire and Rescue (SF&R) response on the facility.
Explanation of Judgement if Safety System Not Judged to be Adequate
This was not a system-based inspection, and therefore no judgement has been made of the adequacy of implementation of any part of the safety case.
Key Findings, Inspector's Opinions and Reasons for Judgements Made
Based on the evidence provided, discussions with Sellafield Ltd staff and observations made during the facility walkdown and emergency demonstration, we consider that:
- Sellafield Ltd was able to clearly articulate the fault sequences and the management strategies put in place to respond to them.
- The written emergency arrangements sampled were found to be adequate, and the DAP demonstrated a good understanding of the instructions and procedures.
- Command and control structures are in place, with roles and responsibilities defined.
- The equipment required to respond to an emergency was identified, in place and aligned with the requirements of the safety case.
We did not identify any significant shortfalls in this inspection. Our findings regarding those areas where we noted opportunities for minor improvements were accepted by the PFCS team.
We therefore consider that the inspection merits an IIS rating of GREEN (no action required) against LC11.
Conclusion of Intervention
From the evidence sampled during these inspections, we judge that there was sufficient evidence that the licensee’s formal arrangements for compliance with Licence Condition 11 are being implemented adequately. No additional follow-up regulatory action is required and no ONR Regulatory Issues were raised.