- Site: Sellafield
- IR number: 21-143
- Date: December 2021
- LC numbers: N/A
Executive summary
Purpose of Intervention
The Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR) undertakes all regulatory interaction with the Sellafield site licensee (Sellafield Ltd) against a strategy defined by the ONR Sellafield, Decommissioning, Fuel and Waste (SDFW) Division. This report presents the findings of a planned intervention that was undertaken in order to assess compliance with the Ionising Radiations Regulations 2017 (IRR17) within the Magnox Reprocessing Facility (MRF) on the Sellafield Site.
Interventions Carried Out by ONR
The intervention consisted of an examination of the implementation of arrangements to secure compliance with the requirements of IRR17 by discussion with key facility personnel and inspection of plant. The key requirements examined were those relating to the following IRR17 regulations and areas:
- Regulation 8 - Radiation risk assessments;
- Regulation 9 - Restriction of exposure;
- Regulation 14 – Radiation protection adviser;
- Regulation 15 – Information, instruction and training;
- Regulation 17 – Designation of controlled and supervised areas;
- Regulation 18 - Local rules and radiation protection supervisors;
- Regulation 20 – Monitoring of designated areas (focus on calibration and
- test);
- Details of any IRR17 events and how these have been addressed, and
- POCO arrangements
- Main and unique challenges
- Expected doses
- Changes to HP resource profile
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 was content that the facility management and Radiation Protection Adviser (RPA) had demonstrated compliance with IRR17. The facility management, including the Head of Reprocessing and RPA understood the current and future radiological challenges associated with the plant with adequate dose monitoring and controls demonstrated. Additionally, there was good trending of doses and the condition reports sampled were minor radiological protection related events, but nonetheless subjected to Sellafield Ltd’s LC7 arrangements.
The risk assessment and supporting documentation provided, confirmed input from the RPA and other SQEP radiological protection staff within the MRF team. I advised that ONR is in discussion with Sellafield Ltd corporate radiological protection lead regarding improving the visibility of the requirements of the IRR17 Regulation 8 (Radiation risk assessments) and this would be tracked at the corporate level.
I considered the documents submitted to ONR were of a high standard. Notably, the two Risk Assessments that I sampled. ‘Risk Assessment: for Gamma sources MSO11322 (Radium 226) RA/BXXX/Source store 40/001, Issue 2, dated April 2017’ and ‘Risk Assessment: Cooling tower fan shutdown maintenance RA/BXXX/MMD/1163, Issue 3, dated September 2021’ were both written and prepared to a high standard.
Radiological Protection documentation supporting investigations into personal contamination were discussed and viewed. I considered this new process to be an example of good practice.
During the intervention I gained assurance of the MRF’s compliance with the Sellafield Ltd corporate Covid-19 control measures. Observations during the inspection identified that personnel were complying/adhering with the Covid-19 control measures.
The findings were shared with, acknowledged and accepted by the Head of Reprocessing, including the RPA as part of normal inspection feedback.
Conclusion of Intervention
In conclusion, I, judged that, on the basis of evidence sampled at the time of this inspection, compliance with IRR17 was demonstrated and an inspection rating of Green (no formal action) is appropriate.