Sellafield - Inspection ID: 51892 | Office for Nuclear Regulation

Executive summary

Inspection date(s): 21/09/22

Purpose of inspection

Subject(s) of inspection

The following actives were the subject of this inspection:

LC 17 - Management systems - Rating - Green

Key findings

The Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR) undertakes all regulatory interactions with the Sellafield site licensee (Sellafield Ltd (SL)) against a strategy defined by the ONR Sellafield, Decommissioning, Fuel and Waste (SDFW) Division. In accordance with this strategy, an inspection of Sellafield Ltd’s Intelligent Customer (IC) capability for the Manufactured Products Organisation (MPO) was scheduled. The purpose of this Inspection was to sample evidence of implementation of the Manufactured Products Supply Chain Management Arrangements, and supporting Intelligent Customer arrangements, targeting the 63 can rack procurement in order to inform a regulatory judgement regarding the licensee’s compliance with relevant good practice. The findings from this inspection will be used to inform ONR flexible permissioning activities Hold Point Control Plan (HPCP) 587. The inspection was undertaken on the 21 and 22 September 2022 by a team comprising of the Supply Chain specialist Nuclear Safety Inspector supported by the HPCP 587 Project Inspector, a Mechanical Engineering specialist inspector, and the nominated Project Inspector. The inspection sampled the implementation of Sellafield Ltd’s documented Manufactured Products Supply Chain Management Arrangements, supporting Intelligent Customer arrangements focused on the procurement of the 63 can racks. The inspection comprised a review of relevant documentation supplied by Sellafield Ltd in advance of, and during, the inspection plus group discussions with members of the MPO team, 63 can rack project team and manufacturers, Bendalls Engineering Ltd and a facility walkdown of the Bendalls manufacturing facility. No significant matters were identified as requiring immediate regulatory attention in relation to the implementation of the LC 17 arrangements for the Manufactured Products Organisation and the procurement of 63 can racks from Bendalls. I found that Sellafield Ltd demonstrated an adequate understanding of Sellafield Ltd’s site-wide arrangements for LC 17 and has adequately implemented these arrangements, including the implementation of quality management arrangements proportionate to the safety risk. The Manufactured Products Organisation (MPO) is a new Sellafield Ltd capability tasked with increasing the delivery certainty of volume manufactured products (drums, racks, boxes etc). MPO are in the process of developing their arrangements in line with industry best practice for volume manufacturing (aerospace, automotive etc) and to align their developing capability with ONR intelligent customer principles. MPO have been tasked with the delivery of the 63 can rack procurement and have formed an integrated product team in support of this. Whilst the MPO arrangements are not fully established, the MPO have undertaken to deliver the procurement in line with the underlying principles of volume manufacturing (i.e., a product focus, advanced product quality planning and design for manufacture). In line with Sellafield arrangements and relevant good practice the 63 can racks have been assigned Quality Grade 2, and the requirements have been cascaded to the suppliers via a contract and the Sellafield Ltd Contract Quality Requirements Manual. Appropriate steps continue to be undertaken to ensure manufacture meets Sellafield's quality and throughput requirements and Sellafield Ltd demonstrated that appropriate commercial contingency plans are in place in the event of supplier issues. I provided regulatory advice regarding the implementation of Sellafield Ltd's corporate intelligent customer arrangements and the approach to the developing Manufactured Products assurance arrangements. I have identified these two areas for follow up during future routine level 4 meetings. In addition, I identified two other areas which will be followed up by the ONR HPCP 587 project inspector via Technical Queries (CM9 Ref. 2022/44586) as part of the extant permissioning for the use of 63 can racks. These were the potential approach to the phased reduction of inspection oversight and the metrology arrangements for Critical to Quality (CTQ) dimensions. My findings were shared with, acknowledged and accepted by the MPO management team and 63 can rack integrated product team as part of normal inspection feedback.

Judgements made

On the basis of the evidence sampled at the time of the inspection, I judge that Manufactured Products Organisation has adequately implemented Sellafield Ltd’s arrangements for LC 17. Noting the ONR guidance on inspection ratings, it is my opinion that an inspection rating of Green (no formal action) is merited. Two areas have been identified for follow up via routine level 4 meetings, two others will be followed up by the HPCP 587 project inspector via the permissioning.