- Site: Hinkley Point A
- IR number: 21-046
- Date: June 2021
- LC numbers: 18
Executive summary
Purpose of Intervention
ONR undertook this intervention to examine Magnox Limited’s arrangements for controlling exposure to ionising radiations and for the assessment of the average effective dose to defined classes of persons at the Hinkley Point A Licensed Site (HPA). On site Covid secure measures were observed during the intervention. This was one of a series of planned interventions during 2021-22 in support of the ONR Decommissioning Fuel and Waste sub-division strategy.
Interventions Carried Out by ONR
I visited HPA site to review compliance with the following:
- Ionising Radiations Regulations 2017 (IRR17)
- Licence Condition (LC) 18 – Radiological Protection
Explanation of Judgement if Safety System Not Judged to be Adequate
Not Applicable.
Key Findings, Inspector's Opinions and Reasons for Judgements Made
The key findings were as follows:
- The licensee’s arrangements for Licence Condition 18 enabled them to meet the requirements to assign persons to a defined class for radiological dose purposes and to report average and maximum effective doses.
- Compliance with the Ionising Radiations Regulations 2017 was demonstrated by the implementation of the Magnox Limited Standard “Radiological Safety Rules” at the Hinkley Point A site.
- Through their system of contractor management, the licensee has ensured that contractors have suitable “consents to carry out specified practices” as required under the Ionising Radiations Regulations 2017 granted by the appropriate authority prior to undertaking work. A database of all Magnox contractors and “consents to carry out specified practices” is maintained corporately by the Magnox Limited Health Physics Head of Profession.
- The licensee has carried out adequate investigations into radiological related incidents. These established the circumstances surrounding the events and enabled the identification of appropriate actions to reduce the probability of a recurrence.
- I judged that the licensee has adequate access to radiation protection specialist resource in the form of Accredited Health Physicists, Radiation Protection Advisers, and Radiation Protection Supervisors at the HPA Site.
- The site has implemented comprehensive Covid secure measures and I observed good compliance during my visit.
Conclusion of Intervention
It is my judgement that the licensee is complying with the requirements of LC18 and those elements of IRR17 which were inspected at the HPA site. Covid secure measures were in place on site and I observed that good compliance was being demonstrated by both staff and contractors in all of the areas I visited.