Executive summary
Date(s) of inspection: October 2024
Aim of inspection
This inspection aimed to confirm that the appropriate Control and Instrumentation (C&I) related statutory outage activities that are necessary to support safety case claims have been / will be undertaken. The inspection involved a review of a sample of Sizewell B (SZB) RO19 activities carried out in relation to C&I equipment and systems important to nuclear safety and considered compliance of the associated arrangements in relation to Licence Condition (LC) 28 – examination, inspection, maintenance and testing (EIMT). The findings of this inspection contribute to ONR’s regulatory decision to grant Consent to the return to normal operating service in accordance with LC 30 – periodic shutdown.
Subject(s) of inspection
- LC28 - Examination, inspection, maintenance and testing - Rating: Green
Key findings, inspector's opinions and reasons for judgement made
During the inspection we sampled examination, inspection, maintenance and testing (EIMT) related activities on C&I equipment and systems important to nuclear safety, based on the schedule of activities contained within the Sizewell B (SZB) Refuelling Outage 19 (RO19) outage intentions document (OID).
We found the activities we sampled had either been satisfactorily completed or were on schedule to be completed. We were confident, based on the information provided, that EIMT activities which had not been performed at the time of the inspection would be completed satisfactorily.
We held discussions with several C&I system engineers and found that they had a good understanding of the systems and equipment they were responsible for and that they could clearly articulate the detail of the maintenance tasks we sampled.
We conducted a plant walkdown and found the operating conditions and lighting levels afforded an adequate working environment for maintainers. We did not identify any significant signs of age-related degradation with respect to the items of C&I equipment we examined. However, we did identify shortfalls in the standard of housekeeping in the polar crane gantry area and have raised a level 4 Regulatory Issue to ensure these shortfalls are adequately addressed and appropriate lessons are learned and applied. We do not consider these shortfalls to pose an immediate or significant risk to nuclear safety.
We found the activities we sampled had either been satisfactorily completed or were on schedule to be completed. We were confident, based on the information provided, that EIMT activities which had not been performed at the time of the inspection would be completed satisfactorily.
We held discussions with several C&I system engineers and found that they had a good understanding of the systems and equipment they were responsible for and that they could clearly articulate the detail of the maintenance tasks we sampled.
We conducted a plant walkdown and found the operating conditions and lighting levels afforded an adequate working environment for maintainers. We did not identify any significant signs of age-related degradation with respect to the items of C&I equipment we examined. However, we did identify shortfalls in the standard of housekeeping in the polar crane gantry area and have raised a level 4 Regulatory Issue to ensure these shortfalls are adequately addressed and appropriate lessons are learned and applied. We do not consider these shortfalls to pose an immediate or significant risk to nuclear safety.
Conclusion
Based on our sample inspection of the C&I aspects of the SZB RO19 statutory outage we have assigned an intervention rating of Green to LC 28 (EIMT) compliance.
We raised L4 RI-12299 to address minor housekeeping shortfalls identified during the inspection. We did not consider these shortfalls to pose an immediate or significant risk to nuclear safety. RI-12299 will be followed up as part of normal regulatory business.
We did not identify any significant issues in relation to the C&I equipment and systems during this inspection that could prevent ONR from issuing a Consent to allow SZB to return to service. Based on our sampled inspection of the C&I aspects of the SZB RO19 statutory outage, we recommend that support be given for a Consent to allow SZB to return to service. This is subject to the completion of the planned EIMT activities and the completion of any emergent work
We raised L4 RI-12299 to address minor housekeeping shortfalls identified during the inspection. We did not consider these shortfalls to pose an immediate or significant risk to nuclear safety. RI-12299 will be followed up as part of normal regulatory business.
We did not identify any significant issues in relation to the C&I equipment and systems during this inspection that could prevent ONR from issuing a Consent to allow SZB to return to service. Based on our sampled inspection of the C&I aspects of the SZB RO19 statutory outage, we recommend that support be given for a Consent to allow SZB to return to service. This is subject to the completion of the planned EIMT activities and the completion of any emergent work