Executive summary
- Inspection date(s): 13/10/2022
Purpose of inspection
The aim of this inspection activity is to focus on station’s compliance against the specific topic area of electrical safety.
Subject(s) of inspection
The following actives were the subject of this inspection:
- Health & Safety at Work Act - Rating - Amber
Key findings
The inspection activities undertaken at Dungeness B (DNB) as part of this electrical themed intervention focused on the arrangements that have been established in compliance with conventional electrical safety. Due to concerns over a number of recent conventional electrical safety events both at EDF Energy Nuclear Generation Ltd (NGL) and more broadly across nuclear licensees the inspection focused on electrical safety and the station management arrangements for safe working on electrical equipment, machinery, and installations and their implementation.
It considered compliance with the requirements of the Electricity at Work Regulations 1989 for the arrangements established for carrying out electrical work, the maintenance of portable electrical equipment and their implementation. In addition, it considered asimilarelectrical themed intervention at Hinkley Point B (HPB) andthe implementation of Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) publication BS7671 Requirements for electrical installations and EDF's technical guidance note (TGN) 064, safety of fixed low voltage equipment.
Findings rom the sample inspected:
1. EDF Energy NGL adequately demonstrated the implementation of arrangements established for carrying out electrical work, including work planning, risk assessment, safety rules, competence of staff, selection and use of equipment, supervision arrangements, monitoring and management arrangements, in accordance with Electricity at Work Regulations 1989 and the Health and Safety at Work Act.
2. During the inspection EDF Energy NGL advised that they were unable to adequately demonstrate that electrical testing the of lighting and small power (L&SP) installations had been undertaken within the DNB main reactor building in accordance with Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) publication BS7671 Requirements for electrical installations and the guidance within the EDF Energy NGL TGN 064, and therefore demonstrate compliance with the Electricity at Work Regulations 1989. I therefore raised a regulatory issue in order to address any shortfalls in compliance with the Electricity at Work Regulations 1989 and the Health and Safety at Work Act. I've raised the regulatory issue against the fleet of reactor stations due to similar findings at HPB and Hunterston B (IR-51964 and IIS-51005 refer).
Judgements made
On the basis of the evidence sampled at the time of the inspection, I judge that EDF Energy NGLÂ were unable to adequately demonstrate the implementation of the arrangements in compliance withIET publication BS7671 Requirements for electrical installations and the guidance within the EDF Energy NGL TGN 064, and therefore demonstrate compliance with the Electricity at Work Regulations 1989at DNB. Noting ONR guidance on inspection ratings, it is my opinion that an inspection rating of AMBER - seek improvement is merited here.
As a result of the compliance shortfalls confirmed, I raised a regulatory issue (RI-11016)in order to address any shortfalls in compliance with the Electricity at Work Regulations 1989 and the Health and Safety at Work Act. I've raised the regulatory issue against the fleet of reactor stations due to similar findings at HPB and Hunterston B (IR-51964 and IIS-51005 refer).
I identified a number of a number of observations, which were conveyed to the licensee in the post-inspection de-briefing meeting. A regulatory issue has been raised to address a key finding during the inspection related to shortfalls in compliance with the obligations of the Electricity at Work Regulations 1989.