Sizewell B - Inspection ID: 53351

This was a planned Licence Condition (LC) 26 'Control and supervision of operations' compliance inspection of EDF Energy Nuclear Generation Ltd.’s (NGL’s) Sizewell B Power Station, undertaken as part of the intervention strategy for the Operating Facilities Division (OFD) of the Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR).

 

The purpose of LC26 is to ensure the licensee carries out no operations which may affect safety except under the control and supervision of suitably qualified and experienced persons appointed for that purpose by the licensee.  

 

'Operations' as defined in LC1 includes maintenance, examination, testing and operation of the plant and the treatment, processing, keeping, storing, accumulating or carriage of any radioactive material or radioactive waste and “operating” and “operational” shall be construed accordingly.

The intervention was performed in line with ONR’s guidance requirements (as described in our technical inspection guides).

I inspected the morning and afternoon Main Control Room (MCR) shift handovers where the Shift Manager and MCR Supervisor (following the individual handovers of the MCR staff and Shift Managers) provided briefings to the whole of the shift operations team.  The following were discussed in turn:

I noted professional, open and engaged dialogue during handovers and shift focus briefings.

 

Although suitable redundancy existed, I noted that one of the station work priorities was to remedy a small number of faults associated with the compressed air system.  I accompanied the shift operations team leader to understand how this maintenance priority would be delivered.  I observed good pre job briefings with staff as a whole but in particular with the technician tasked to work on the compressed air system. From my observations and discussions with the shift staff it was evident that they were suitably qualified and experienced individuals capable of delivering the tasks assigned to them.

  

I also attended the work week planning meeting where future maintenance activities planned for three, nine and thirteen weeks time were discussed, activity by activity, to determine what challenges and risks to delivery were evident and what actions needed to be taken to ensure successful completion.  I also noted professional, open and engaged dialogue was demonstrated by all present.  I noted that attendees clearly understood the nuclear safety significance of the various plant items requiring scheduled maintenance.

 

I also inspected the activities of the Work Execution Centre (WEC) - both during the handover of ongoing work to the Duty WEC duly authorised person (DAP) from the MCR Supervisor and within the WEC itself.  I noted that the Duty WEC DAP is a post held following time served as an MCR Supervisor which is an appointed position.  It was evident that the Duty WEC DAP was a suitably qualified and experienced person with significant plant knowledge.

 

I was content from the sample of activities inspected that the licensee carried out no operations which affected safety except under the control and supervision of suitably qualified and experienced persons appointed for that purpose by the licensee.  

There were no regulatory issues generated as a result of this 'Control and supervision of operations' inspection and I judged that, from the evidence sampled, the licensee adequately demonstrated compliance with the requirements of LC26 and therefore rated this inspection as Green, requiring no formal action.

 

There were no findings from this inspection that could significantly undermine nuclear safety.  At present, no additional regulatory action is needed over and above the planned interventions at Sizewell B Power Station as set out in the Integrated Intervention Strategy, which will continue as planned.