- Site: AWE Aldermaston
- IR number: 21-112
- Date: November 2021
- LC numbers: 11
Executive summary
Purpose of Intervention
The Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR) undertakes all regulatory interventions with the Aldermaston nuclear site licensee, AWE plc (AWE) against a strategy defined by the ONR Weapons sub-Division. In accordance with that strategy, a Licence Condition (LC) 11 compliance inspection was undertaken at Aldermaston, as planned, on 10th November.
The purpose of the intervention was for the ONR to inspect and determine the adequacy of implementation of AWE’s formal arrangements for compliance with LC 11 via an on-site demonstration of their emergency arrangements during a Level 1 exercise. Other meetings were also undertaken and covered in this report as part of ONR’s routine interventions.
Interventions Carried Out by ONR
The intervention focussed on the people and processes that AWE has in place to comply with its LC 11 arrangements and was undertaken via the assessment of the on-site Level 1 exercise.
The intervention was performed in line with ONR's guidance requirements (as described in our technical inspection guides) in the areas inspected.
Specifically, this included NS-INSP-GD-011, Revision 7.1 and ONR-INSP-GD-064, Revision 5.
Explanation of Judgement if Safety System Not Judged to be Adequate
Not applicable - this was not a system-based inspection, therefore no judgement in this regard was made.
Key Findings, Inspector's Opinions and Reasons for Judgements Made
It is my opinion that the Level 1 emergency response demonstration exercise did not provide adequate evidence of implementation of the established emergency arrangements within the Explosives Technology Centre and Aldermaston Command Post, in respect of LC 11. This current view aligns with that of AWE’s own LC owner and the internal regulator findings.
I was satisfied that the exercise scenario was realistic and sufficiently challenging and will not require an entire re-demonstration of the exercise. I will engage with AWE to establish a proportionate re-demonstration of specific exercise elements, utilising existing training exercises where practicable.
Conclusion of Intervention
Based on the evidence sampled at the time of the intervention against AWE’s LC 11 arrangements and ONR’s associated LC requirements and TIGs, I consider that AWE has not consistently implemented its arrangements across the functions sampled. An Amber rating is therefore considered appropriate, in accordance with ONR Guide ONR-INSP-GD-064.
The findings from this inspection will be subject to re-demonstration of specific elements of the exercise. The planned interventions set out in the Operating Facilities Division Weapons Sub-Division Strategy for Aldermaston site remain valid and will be followed for future inspections.