Quarterly News. April June Cover Introduction Corporate update Q1 at a glance Programme updates Spotlight 1 Spotlight 2 Looking ahead

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1 Quarterly News April June 2012 page 1 of 21 pages

2 COVER INTRODUCTION AT A GLANCE TRANSFORMING ONR PROGRAMMES UPDATE An agency of HSE Cover Hinkley Point C At a glance Programmes update News Stress tests Sites we regulate Cover Introduction Corporate update Q3 at a glance Programme updates Spotlight: Transport Spotlight: i-dac Looking ahead page 1 of 15 pages Cover Introduction Corporate update Q4 at a glance Programme updates Spotlight One Spotlight Two Looking ahead page 1 of 20 pages ONR Quarterly News Q1 April June 2012 Introduction Q1 at a glance Welcome to Quarterly News from the Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR). ONR Office Quarterly for Nuclear Report Regulation Q1 2011/12 Office for Nuclear Regulation An agency of HSE Quarterly Report Q1 2011/12 ONR Qua r ter l y Repor t Q / 12 (July 11 September 11) Office for Nuclear Regulation An agency of HSE next u Quarterly News October December 2011 This edition marks our first anniversary as the ONR and the first anniversary of this very publication. Our inaugural year as ONR has been busy and challenging but also one of significant achievement and development that we aim to build upon as we move forward. In conjunction with Quarterly News - Q1, we have published our Annual Review for 2011/12, which highlights our work and achievements and looks ahead to our second year and beyond. We hope that you continue to find ONR s Quarterly News useful and informative. As always, we appreciate your feedback. Please send any comments to ONR@hse.gsi.gov.uk ONR corporate update Q1 at a glance Programme updates Spotlight 1: Hinkley Point C One Year On Spotlight 2: Air fed suits in nuclear decommissioning Looking ahead 21 Quarterly News January March 2012 Cover photo: Heysham 1 page 2 of 21 pages

3 Corporate update The announcement of the Government s plans for the Energy Bill was a key milestone for ONR in Q1. Energy Bill In our first quarter of 2012/13, ONR took another step closer to becoming an independent statutory corporation. On 9 May, in her speech to open Parliament, the Queen announced the Government s plans for the Energy Bill. The draft Bill, which includes the provisions needed to establish ONR as an independent statutory corporation, was published for pre-legislative scrutiny on 22 May and it is expected that the final version will be published for its passage through Parliament towards the end of this year. The draft Bill and its accompanying documents can be found on the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) website. The announcement of the Energy Bill is a positive step forward for ONR, and we will continue to work with the Department for Work and Pensions, DECC and others to refine the draft Bill ahead of its passage through Parliament. Senior management team changes The senior management team changes that we mentioned in the last edition of Quarterly News (Q4 Jan-Mar) are now in effect. Colin Patchett, Programme Director for the Civil Nuclear Reactor Programme, is now overseeing the remaining Generic Design Assessment (GDA) work. Derek Lacey has taken up post as Director of Regulatory Policy, Strategy and Assurance. David Senior has taken on responsibility for the Defence Programme, as well as the Decommissioning, Fuel and Waste Programme. Les Philpott has taken up position of Director of Finance and Corporate Services. Kevin Allars has started his position as Programme Director of the Changing ONR Programme. In addition, ONR welcomed its new permanent Chief Operating Officer, John Jenkins in June. John reflects on his first month in ONR on page 4. page 3 of 21 pages

4 Corporate update John joins us from a 30- year career as a consulting engineer and brings significant experience to ONR. As Chief Operating Officer, he is responsible for overseeing the delivery of ONR s programmes and is an executive member of the ONR Board and a senior member of the Executive Management team (EMT). John reflects on his first month in ONR, and explains his visions for the future. What are your first impressions of ONR? ONR is a very friendly organisation, full of staff who are wholly committed and passionate about their roles, which gives me confidence that we can successfully work through the transitional period to become a statutory corporation. There is a high level of regulatory technical skill and experience within the organisation, in both inspectorate and business support functions, which we will draw from and build upon in the challenging times ahead. On a more sober note, I am detecting some confusion around our key messages and I am committed to efficient and inclusive communication to bring greater consistency and clarity across the organisation. This will be essential to deliver our openness and transparency agenda as well as to implement the necessary changes that we want to make. After one month on the job, name one thing you are particularly impressed by and one thing that you would immediately improve. I was immediately impressed with the friendliness and the warm welcome I received from staff. I have met many staff and attended several meetings in my first month, and I am delighted with the interaction and interest from staff. I would expect to have met everyone within the organisation by the end of September. On a personal level one thing I would like to improve is my travelling time into work, as I currently travel from Barnsley every day! On a more serious note, I am keen for the organisation to have a clearer integrated sense of urgency and purpose. What does your role as Chief Operating Officer involve? It is a wide-ranging and stimulating role. In essence, I will take on a primarily operational role, responsible for delivering core competencies and independent regulation across our key operational programmes. It does stray into other aspects, which are internally focussed, such as setting the tone for ONR operations and how people work more effectively within the organisation. Externally, it is essential that we develop relationships with all our external stakeholders and I will be doing this by representing ONR at the highest level. The important thing here is to establish ourselves as an independent and therefore trusted source of confidence for our principal stakeholder: people and society. What are your priorities as Chief Operating Officer of ONR? I have three key priorities; To join up the current initiatives in development page 4 of 21 pages

5 Corporate update within ONR in to a single compelling proposition; To focus on the operational essentials that will need to be in place for when we become a statutory corporation; To engage and communicate with all of our staff and stakeholders. What do you foresee as ONR s biggest challenge for the next 12 months and beyond? The successful implementation of our new operating model and programme working will be a key challenge. It is a high priority for ONR and will put the essential ingredients in place to make the organisation a great place to work in the future. It is also essential for us to realise our potential as a world-class independent regulator. Closer to home, we need to act as a statutory corporation and be seen to have excellent working relationships across government and the wider Civil Service. What do you think the key differences for ONR will be once it becomes a statutory corporation? I am confident that we will have the ability to be more influential in the regulatory environment, which will underpin our status as an independent regulator. We will be able to commit fully to sustainability and to build upon our reputation on the world stage, which will enable us to learn from the wider nuclear environment. As the single trusted source for regulation we will be expected to show the highest standards of self regulation and governance. Where do you see ONR in five years time? I see ONR as a bigger more effective organisation working to secure the protection of people and society at the heart of the nuclear agenda. From an operational perspective, we will have a fully embedded matrix management model in place that will help to develop our people and the organisation as a whole. How do you see ONR s relationship with industry developing/changing? As we move forwards, I hope to see more integrated and influential regulation across ONR and within industry. I see us sharing knowledge and experience of staff and working closer together, whilst still maintaining our separate identity and integrity. Openness and transparency is a key priority for ONR, how do you see this improving? I agree, this is essential, and right now, we need to release and publish more information to the public, and ensure that it is consistent across all programmes. With more information in the public domain, I would hope to better fulfil our clarity to the public we serve, and for ONR to have a higher positive profile amongst stakeholders. What experience will you bring to the role? I am a consulting engineer by profession, with a design role background. I have a degree in civil engineering and am a chartered civil engineer. In a 30-year career, I have 12 years board level experience in commercial organisations, and I am confident that I can bring that experience to my role as a member of the Board and EMT. I have also spent some time as an overhead in the centre of a commercial organisation, leading on implementing and managing change programmes, which will be useful for my time in ONR in the coming months and years. I have had some experience in the nuclear environment as I worked at Faslane on the design of the Astute jetty, AWE on the Pegasus project, and the Computer Aided Design (CAD) contract at the Tails Management Facility (TMF) at Urenco Capenhurst. This means that I know the challenges of working in a nuclear environment. What are your next steps? I have seen some of the organisation and I am confident that we have the skills and experience to deliver the regulatory need. I look forward to meeting more of our staff and stakeholders in the future. page 5 of 21 pages

6 At a glance Minister visits ONR ONR recently played host to a visit from the Rt Hon Chris Grayling MP, Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) Minister for Employment with responsibility for the sponsorship of ONR. The Minister visited Redgrave Court in Bootle to meet some of our staff, after which he praised the knowledge and commitment of people within the organisation. Office for Nuclear Regulation Stress Tests for UK non-power Generating Nuclear Facilities Final Report May 2012 Final Report on Stress Tests for UK non Power Generating Nuclear Facilities An agency of HSE Stress tests report for non power generating nuclear facilities and peer review published ONR published its report on non power generating nuclear facilities (NPGNF) in May In the wake of events at Fukushima, every nuclear power generating country in Europe agreed to carry out safety stress tests under request of the European Council. As the European Council stress tests were on nuclear power plants (NNP), HM Chief Inspector of Nuclear Installations, Mike Weightman, decided to extend the stress test process to all other licensed nuclear installations within the UK. The NPGNF stress tests reports were prepared by the licensees and submitted to ONR for independent regulatory review. Unlike ONR s National Final Report for UK NPPs, the NPGNF stress tests report is a purely UK initiative and will therefore not be subject to peer review by the European Nuclear Safety Regulators Group (ENSREG) team. However, the NPGNF stress tests have followed the ENSREG specification as far as possible, and ONR has reviewed the reports using the same principles and standards as for the ONR s National Final Report for UK NPPs. Consequently, it is judged that any relevant further learning resulting from the ENSREG peer review can be translated to NPGNF. View the report here NGO forum ONR s third NGO forum was held in London on 23 May, chaired by Peter Wilkinson. Discussions included security of existing and potential future nuclear power plants, lessons learned from Fukushima and recommendations in the UK, openness and transparency and Generic Design Assessment (GDA) progress. The minutes will be available online within the coming weeks. Publication of ONR annual review Front page Introduction from Mike Weightman Chair s reflection of ONR s first year Progress and Achievements Programme overview Civil Nuclear Reactors Generic Design Assessment Decommissioning, Fuel and Waste Sellafield Defence Civil Nuclear Security Radioactive Materials Transport Looking ahead to 2012/13 Keeping up to date with ONR Glossary Office for Nuclear Regulation Annual Review 2011/12 1 / 26 Alongside this edition of quarterly news, we have also published our annual review for 2011/12. The annual review reflects on our first year as ONR from April 2011 to March It provides an outline of our key achievements and an overview from each of the operational delivery programmes. It also highlights how developments in our first year will impact going forward in to our second and beyond. page 6 of 21 pages

7 At a glance Photo courtesy of Magnox Ltd Transfer of Dungeness A from CNRP to DFW following fuel free verification In the last quarter, we informed you that Dungeness A power station was making plans to declare itself fuel free. Since then, ONR has undertook inspections to review Magnox Limited s approach to fuel free verification and to examine the evidence to support its assertion that the plant site is now free of reactor fuel. The aim now is for Dungeness A to move into an interim care and maintenance phase by This will leave the site in a safe and secure state, with all its higher hazards stabilised or removed. Responsibility for regulation of Dungeness A will transfer from the Civil Nuclear Reactors programme to the Decommissioning, Fuel and Waste programme within ONR, which will continue to regulate the site as it moves through a programme of decommissioning. Publication of Communications Strategy In June, ONR published its Communications Strategy. The communications strategy supports ONR s corporate strategy, outlining how communications will contribute to ONR achieving its mission and its vision for It covers internal and external communications, including stakeholder engagement. Crisis communications conference in Madrid HM Chief Inspector of Nuclear Installations Mike Weightman led a UK delegation at a workshop on crisis communications, held in Madrid, Spain, in May. Senior officials from nuclear regulatory organisations and key stakeholders from 25 countries and seven international organisations met over two days to share best practice and improve our procedures to communicate during a crisis. The proceedings were webcast live and remain available to view here. New licensing guidance Licensing Nuclear Installations page 1 of 69 pages ONR has revised one of its key pieces of guidance, Licensing of Nuclear Installations, which provides an overview of the nuclear regulatory regime and the processes for licensing and delicensing nuclear sites. ONR periodically reviews and, where necessary, revises its published guidance to reflect changes in legislation or policy and to build upon learning from experience and good practice. Licensing Nuclear Installations replaces The licensing of nuclear installations issued in March The revised document takes account of the government s National Policy Statement for Nuclear Power Generation (2009) and recent changes in legislation, including the Energy Act (2008) and the Planning Act (2008). page 7 of 21 pages

8 At a glance It also sets out the factors that the regulator may take into account when reviewing a licence application, and refers to relevant technical assessment guidance. Licensing Nuclear Installations will inform ONR s approach to assessing the application by NNB GenCo Ltd for a nuclear site licence at Hinkley Point C. View the website here Launch of ONR Twitter account ONR launched a new Twitter account in May as part of its commitment to openness and will highlight new or updated pages on our website, as they go live. It will also outline ONR s position in relation to breaking news stories, when appropriate to do so. We suspect the 140-character limit on Tweets may make it difficult to answer detailed technical queries and issues that our followers may ask, so we will encourage that such enquiries still go to onrenquiries@hse.gsi.gov.uk Changes to the ONR website Thank you to everyone who took part in the recent website survey. The survey provided some useful suggestions that we will use in developing the website with the aim of making it more user-friendly for visitors and more closely aligned to ONR s structure. Following the survey and website review, we have already started making changes to the website and you will start to notice more as we work to develop the structure and content. We will be developing the site through a phased approach so not to disrupt your access to the site. The first improvement visitors will notice is a new ONR home page, which is now live and includes improved access to ONR information and makes it easier to navigate around the ONR site. It also provides the latest news, key resources and a link to the sites that we regulate, which we are working to improve further in a later stage of the redevelopment. Further changes to other sections of the site will follow in the coming months. If you have any specific comments or feedback on the changes, please onr@hse.gsi.gov.uk page 8 of 21 pages

9 Programme update Civil Nuclear Reactors Programme updates focus on ONR s operational activities during the quarter. Covered here are activities in Q1 from April to July For the latest information from ONR, please visit our website. Regulating operating nuclear power stations, defueling nuclear power stations and licensing and permissioning of proposed new build nuclear power stations Operating power stations Following statutory outages at Dungeness B and Heysham 1 power stations, ONR granted consent for both to return to service. Last quarter, we reported on potential indications of defects on part of the superheater on Reactor 2 at Heysham 1 (a component that increases the temperature of the steam). This has now been resolved after EDF conducted a series of internal inspections before reporting to ONR on the cause and presenting an ongoing programme of work to justify the reactor s return to service. ONR granted consent for Reactor 2, Heysham 1 to return to service on 4 May. Reactor 22 at Dungeness B returned to service on 29 May following resolution of issues relating to the boiler annexe and fire suppression systems, particularly in relation to oil fires. EDF had extensive discussions with ONR and conducted comprehensive testing of the fire suppression systems with successful results. In addition, ONR and EDF agreed a forward programme of work including physical modifications to reduce the risks further. As ever, ONR will continue to monitor progress as part of routine business. QUICK FACT - WHAT IS AN OUTAGE? It is a requirement of the licence attached to each site that nuclear reactors are shut down periodically for safety checks and maintenance that cannot be performed whilst the reactor is operating. The 14 Advanced Gas-cooled reactors that currently operate in Britain are shut down every three years and the Sizewell B Pressurised Water reactor is shut down every 18 months. These shut downs, known as outages, normally last between 30 days and 70 days, but can be longer depending on the amount of examination, test and maintenance that is necessary to ensure and demonstrate the safety of the plant for further operation. In June, Sizewell B carried out a level one demonstration emergency exercise that included a demonstration of the alternative access controls point, which ONR had pressed EDF to construct. ONR judged that Sizewell B page 9 of 21 pages

10 Programme update Sizewell B, photo courtesy of EDF had adequately demonstrated its emergency arrangements, although as is usual for such events, learning opportunities were identified which the site will now take forward. Defueling power stations Magnox Limited permanently shutdown Reactor 2 at Wylfa power station on 25 April Starting in summer 2012, Wylfa wishes to transfer partially irradiated fuel from this Reactor to Reactor 1, to make best use of the available fuel. Under the conditions attached to the site licence, this process (known as IRX) will require approval from ONR. During the quarter, ONR has examined the arrangements the licensee will implement to manage the reactivity of both cores when irradiated fuel is being transferred. ONR s assessment of IRX is ongoing. There is more information about ONR s role at Wylfa in the latest site stakeholder group report. Generic Design Assessment In May, ONR and the Environment Agency confirmed the closure of the first GDA issue identified as part of the assessment of EDF and Areva s UK EPR reactor design. Work is now continuing on assessing EDF and Areva s responses to the remaining issues. Once the regulators have received and assessed sufficient information to be satisfied that a GDA issue has been addressed satisfactorily, they will write to inform EDF and Areva that an issue has been closed. ONR and the Environment Agency closed another two GDA issues in June. You can find more information on the new reactors website. EDF and Areva have provided revised plans on how they will close the outstanding issues. This will enable ONR and the Environment Agency to reassess the likely timescales for delivery of a design acceptance confirmation and statement of design acceptability. More information will be available in the joint regulators quarterly report, to be published shortly. Site licensing One of the organisations proposing to build a new nuclear power station has progressed to the next stage in the licensing process by signing a limit of liability with ONR. NuGeneration Ltd, or NuGen, can now start interacting with the regulator on a formal basis on its plans to build a new nuclear power station adjacent to the current Sellafield site. NuGen s initial interest is in ONR support and advice on site characterisation, and we also anticipate discussions on aspects of licensing and organisational capability. This July marks a year since ONR received NNB Genco s site licence application for Hinkley Point C. Read more about how ONR is progressing with its assessment in our spotlight feature. page 10 of 21 pages

11 Programme update Sellafield Regulating the Sellafield and Windscale nuclear licensed sites in Cumbria. During the period we completed our site wide coordinated cornerstone inspection of training and competence across the site. These inspections have been very successful in allowing us to judge Sellafield Ltd s compliance with the site licence across the wide range of large and complex facilities on the site. The remediation of high hazard legacy facilities remains an area of considerable focus for the Sellafield programme. ONR granted permission for the construction of a lateral restraint on the Magnox Swarf Storage Silos. This will allow Sellafield Ltd to install the heavy equipment in the facility that is needed to remove its radioactive inventory. ONR witnessed a successful redemonstration of Sellafield Ltd s emergency arrangements in June ONR requires Sellafield Ltd to have strong emergency arrangements that are comprehensive and can deal with a wide range of emergency situations. The Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) announced its intention to stop oxide Mina receives her award fuel reprocessing in ONR provided comments on the safety case document and will assess Sellafield Ltd s safety case for the interim storage of spent oxide fuel. The NDA has also announced the closure of the replacement Highly Active Storage Tanks (HASTs) project. ONR will monitor Sellafield Ltd s revised plans for future reprocessing operations to ensure that nuclear safety is not compromised. ONR is concerned that Sellafield Ltd will fail to deliver its planned programme of work, and with it the timely hazard reduction of legacy facilities. We have established clear criteria by which Sellafield Ltd s performance can be judged with regard to progress and delivery. A regulatory report will be produced by mid 2013 setting out our view of Sellafield s performance. ONR took part in a conference organised by Sellafield Limited to exchange information with Nordic participants. It was attended by parliamentary representatives and members of local communities from the UK, Greenland, Norway and Sweden, as well as technical experts and safety regulators. The conference focused on nuclear safety and environmental impacts of operations at Sellafield. Mina Golshan, an ONR inspector working in the Sellafield Programme team recently won an award for best contribution at the 2012 Emergency Management Issues Specials Interest Group Conference in Seattle. Mina s presentation on behalf of ONR focused on severe accident analysis and management strategies. page 11 of 21 pages

12 Programme update Decommissioning, Fuel and Waste Regulating safety on a variety of nuclear fuel cycle and nuclear research sites, waste management and decommissioning sites. A number of inspectors from ONR played an important role in the fourth review meeting of the joint convention on the safety of spent fuel and radioactive management in Vienna, Austria in May. On behalf of DECC, ONR prepared the national report which addressed measures taken to implement each of the obligations of the convention. DFW programme director David Senior, together with Dr Joe McHugh from the Environment Agency, presented the UK s report at the review meeting, supported by representatives from government and the nuclear industry. ONR played a vital role, preparing for and attending the review meeting, writing the report and preparing the presentation and relevant briefing material, as well as responding to more than 100 questions raised. The UK demonstrated effective leadership in the field of radioactive waste and spent fuel management by the success of its peer reviewed report and the compliments received in management of the open ended working group within the review meeting. You can read more about the outcomes on the IAEA website ONR has launched a supplementary six-week consultation on its interpretation of bulk quantities of radioactive matter. This follows the full consultation which closed in December After careful consideration of the comments received, ONR is now proposing a revision to its approach to broaden its interpretation. The consultation paper sets out ONR s revised approach, the reasons for the change and seeks views on the changes that ONR is considering. We will publish a final response to both consultation exercises after consideration of the responses to this supplementary consultation. In April, ONR oversaw the removal and destruction of liquid metal coolant at Dounreay nuclear licensed site, which was a major chemical and radiological hazard. ONR inspectors carried out regular inspections throughout the process, from design and Bradwell commissioning to destruction; witnessing the removal of the first and last batches of liquid metal. They will now ensure that the next phase of the project is managed safely, minimising any risk. ONR has now completed its assessment of the Periodic Safety Review (PSR) of the Bradwell decommissioning licensed site. After careful consideration, ONR has concluded that it is appropriate to continue decommissioning operations whilst the programme of further work identified by the review is progressed. ONR has published its decision within a statement here. In June, ONR presented at the Nuclear Decommissioning 2012 conference (Decom12) in Manchester. Alongside speakers from the NDA and a number of site licensees, Programme Director David Senior presented on decommissioning programme challenges an integrated regulatory approach. In addition, Superintending Inspector Frans Boydon chaired a session around decommissioning and national and international roles of integrated waste management. page 12 of 21 pages

13 Programme update Defence Regulating the defence sector at weapons sites and naval bases, working closely with the MOD s Defence Nuclear Safety Regulator. BAE Systems Marine in Barrow provided a satisfactory demonstration to ONR of their ability to evacuate and account for their staff during an emergency exercise in this last quarter. This demonstration was a fundamental prerequisite to ONR permissioning BAE to begin power range testing on the latest Astute class submarine HMS Ambush - testing the reactor across the full power range. This demonstration followed a period of activity by BAE to improve their new personnel accounting systems, after previous attempts using newly introduced systems failed due to software deficiencies. Power range testing of HMS Ambush began on 5 July and is expected to take several weeks. Following the departure of HMS Vigilant from Devonport Royal Dockyard in Plymouth in March 2012, after a successful three year Long Overhaul Period Refit & Refuel Programme (LOP(R)), HMS Vengeance, the fourth Vanguard Class submarine, has now docked at Devonport for completion of the same process. HMS Vanguard, courtesy of Rolls Royce The LOP(R) is a significant programme of work for Babcock, involving more than 2,000 personnel and 2.2 million man hours. It is a complex and demanding procedure requiring significant regulatory attention from ONR, and is consequently a key deliverable for ONR over 2012/13. ONR s regulatory interventions are planned and completed in close liaison with the Defence Nuclear Safety Regulator (DNSR). Work by Babcock will include removing the reactor pressure vessel head to gain access to the spent fuel, replacing it with a new reactor core and subsequent commissioning of the reactor. It is also supported by a major revalidation of reactor systems and replacement of major equipment such as the reactor pressure vessel head and main coolant pumps. ONR will monitor each stage of the refit programme on the licensed site through regular planned site inspections to ensure compliance against the site licence conditions and that activities are undertaken safely and in accordance with the plant safety case. When complete, the reactor will provide power for the remainder of the submarine s operational life, without the need to refuel. page 13 of 21 pages

14 Programme update Civil Nuclear Security Regulating security at all civil nuclear facilities. In line with the drive for continuous improvement across the civil nuclear industry, EDF has completed reviews of security at its nuclear power plants. This work, which is linked to EDF s post Fukushima resilience plans, seeks to combine the synergies between safety and security at their sites. This quarter, we welcomed Rebecca Marsh, who joined ONR as Director of the Civil Nuclear Security (CNS) programme s integrated change programme on secondment from the Independent Police Complaints Commission. The CNS change programme s purpose is to integrate the delivery of security at civil nuclear sites through the development of closer working links with stakeholders, such as the Safety Directors Forum, the Civil Nuclear Constabulary (CNC), the Centre for the Protection of National Infrastructure, Her Majesty s Inspectorate of Constabulary and DECC. Baseline inspections were conducted in May at Capenhurst and Harwell against ONR s National Objectives, Requirements and Model Standards (NORMS) guidance. Similar inspections are planned for the smaller civil sites in due course. In future, the onus will be on operators and carriers to propose and justify security arrangements that meet ONR s defined security objectives. Introducing NORMS underpins this as part of an evolutionary process towards a more goal setting and performance measurement approach to security regulation. NORMS constitutes revised technical security guidance to industry, and will replace the extant Nuclear Industries Security Regulations Technical Requirements Document NISR2003. A senior managers security briefing was held in May at the Health and Safety Laboratory (HSL) in Buxton - the first of this year s two events. The aim of the briefing is to raise the security awareness of managers across the civil nuclear industry. Each briefing lasts three days, and consists of a series of lectures and practical demonstrations on the HSL s range and test facilities, which illustrate a range of potential malicious capabilities civil licensed nuclear sites should be capable of handling. page 14 of 21 pages

15 Programme update Feedback from the briefing was very positive, and CNS was supported in delivering the briefing by specialists from HSL and the Centre for the Protection of National Infrastructure (CPNI). In addition, CNS held its Annual Personnel Security Industry day in April, with the aim of sharing best practice in personnel security with and across the civil nuclear industry. The day was attended by about 70 delegates from industry, from disciplines such as Personnel Security, HR and Occupational Health. Guest speakers at the event included: the Defence Business Services Medical Vetting Adviser - presenting on medical conditions likely to be of interest from a security perspective the Citizen s Advice Bureau - presenting on financial difficulties and how these could be addressed in aftercare by managers CPNI - presenting on the security risks posed by social networking, and who introduced a tool to enable operators to benchmark and develop a more security focussed culture EDF, who presented on how they delivered an audit of their contractor community to raise personnel security standards The inaugural ONR Security Advisory Committee meeting took place in May, with representation from CPNI, CNC and from DECC. The meeting was chaired by Liz Siberry, ONR s non-executive board member for security, previously Director of the Centre for CPNI. The committee exists to support the ONR Board and HM Chief Nuclear Inspector in their responsibility for civil nuclear security regulation. It is responsible for gaining assurance on, and advising the Board of ONR s effectiveness in securing the protection of people and society from risks to the civil nuclear industry due to malicious intent. page 15 of 21 pages

16 Programme update Transport Regulating the safety of radioactive materials transported by road and rail in Great Britain. The Radioactive Materials Transport programme regulates the transport of both nuclear and non-nuclear radioactive material. This involves inspecting transport activities, as well as assessing and granting permissions for the use of transport package types. Nuclear inspections This quarter, inspections of transport in the nuclear sector are on schedule with all major interventions delivered. Since joining ONR, the transport programme has worked to integrate inspections with those planned at licensed sites. This has proved successful at Dounreay and Sellafield, where all transport interventions are coordinated with ONR s Sellafield programme. Non-nuclear inspections Every day, courier companies and hospitals across Britain transport radiopharmaceuticals used in the treatment of medical conditions. As part of a series of feature articles highlighting how and what ONR regulates, David Rowe, a transport inspector, explains how he helps to regulate the transport of radioactive materials within the medical environment. Photo courtesy of the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority Assessing package designs The transport programme is responsible for the approval of certain types of packages used to carry radioactive material. This permissioning process remains dominated by the nuclear sector but there has also been an increase in non-nuclear packages in the last few months and the timely delivery of two non-nuclear applications. When applying for permission to use packages for transporting radioactive material, designers must take account of various external factors that may affect the package. One such factor is temperature; packages must be able to function within certain ranges. To help designers understand how developments in technology and effects of climate change will influence packages, ONR has produced new guidance to aid designers, duty-holders and regulators to understand the current and likely future conditions. This document and the Met Office report it supports are available on the ONR website. page 16 of 21 pages

17 Spotlight 1: One year since licence application for Hinkley Point C Last July, ONR received the first site licence application in 20 years for a new nuclear power station. Colin Patchett, Deputy Chief Inspector at ONR, provides an update on how the assessment work is progressing. It is ONR s job to make sure that any organisation applying to build and operate a new power station can do so safely. So when Nuclear New Build Generation Company (NNB GenCo), a subsidiary of EDF Energy, applied to ONR for a site licence for the proposed new site at Hinkley Point C in Somerset, we began assessing the company s suitability, capability and competence to install, operate and decommission a nuclear facility. An organisation wishing to carry out prescribed nuclear activities must apply for, and be granted, a nuclear site licence before it starts construction of nuclear safety-related plant. A site licence puts the licence holder under strict legal obligations and, importantly, gives wider and deeper regulatory powers to ONR to ensure the safe construction, commissioning and operation of a nuclear site. In particular, the licence holder must comply with conditions that are attached to the licence and their compliance is enforced by ONR. The granting of a nuclear site licence is a significant step but is not itself permission to start nuclear-related construction. That requires a regulatory permission from ONR under a licence condition. However, before a licence is granted, ONR needs to be satisfied that the applicant s choice of site is suitable, that it understands the hazards and risks of the activities that it proposes to carry out. The applicant must also demonstrate that it has a sufficient outline site safety case to manage these risks and protect people and society in the context of the particular site. We also emphasise the need to gain confidence in the adequacy of the applicant s governance arrangements, resources, competencies and management processes before we will consider granting a licence. Our assessment over the past year has considered the adequacy of NNB GenCo s organisation, its arrangements for complying with conditions attached to the licence and its ability to prepare a safety report for the proposed installation. This work has been progressing well and, so far, we have found no substantive issues that are likely to deter us from granting a nuclear site licence. But our work has not finished yet and we will only issue a licence if we are satisfied, at the end of our assessment, that the company is capable page 17 of 21 pages

18 Spotlight 1 of operating safely and securely. The onus throughout is on NNB GenCo to demonstrate that it is fit and able to discharge the obligations associated with holding a nuclear site licence. At the same time as ONR is assessing the organisational capability of NNB GenCo, the reactor that they wish to construct and operate at Hinkley Point C is going through a technical design assessment process. The UK EPR reactor design is being scrutinised by ONR and the Environment Agency as part of the Generic Design Assessment. The regulators have already granted the design an interim acceptance, but in reaching this view we also identified a number of issues which the designers need to address before ONR and the Environment Agency consider giving their final approval (more information about the GDA process). Outside of ONR, other regulators have also been assessing the proposed Hinkley Point C site from a planning and environmental perspective. NNB GenCo will need a development consent order from the Planning Inspectorate before it can begin construction and environmental permits from the Environment Agency prior to the start of operations. Artist s impression of Hinkley point C EDF Energy Hinkley Point C is the first of a planned new generation of nuclear power stations proposed for construction in the UK. ONR s regulatory oversight continues throughout the lifetime of any new installation. Our inspectors will ensure the licensee maintains high standards of safety and security throughout construction and into operation and decommissioning, challenging the licensee to maintain a culture of continuous improvement and sustained excellence. ONR is committed to being open and transparent in explaining how we ve reached our decisions. If we decide to grant a new site licence we will publish a project assessment report online setting out what we have done and the basis for our decision. For now, you can find out more about site licensing online here page 18 of 21 pages

19 Spotlight 2: ONR publishes guidance on the use of Air fed Suits in nuclear decommissioning New guidance published by ONR in June aims to reduce the risks to workers using air fed suites in decommissioning UK nuclear facilities. ONR has worked with the HSL and other stakeholders to produce guidance on the physiological and ergonomic challenges affecting the use of air fed suits. HM Superintending Inspector, David Simister explains how the guidance has been produced and how it will help those involved in the use of air fed suits. What are air fed suits? Airfed suits are widely used for protection from radioactive contamination, especially during decommissioning. There are several risk factors in using air fed suits, including: radiological risks; minimising radiological waste and managing disposal routes; appropriate radiation and contamination monitoring, and decontamination; and non-radiological risks, including physiological risks from the suits themselves. How does the guidance help? The guidance was clearly constructed to promote a clearer understanding of the physiological and ergonomic challenges affecting the use of air fed suits. The guidance covers all stages of air fed suit use, from planning, selection and training through to Photo courtesy of HSL page 19 of 21 pages

20 Spotlight 2 reviewing and improving. Our aim is simple, to reduce the risk to workers. Who was involved in producing the guidance? ONR worked together with HSL to run a collaborative project between 2008 and The project involved a number of industry licensees and personal protective equipment (PPE) manufacturers. We gathered substantial evidence and information throughout the project to support and create this guidance. What evidence did you use in creating the guidance? We gathered evidence of practical working with air fed suits at nuclear decommissioning sites, directly observing use of the suits, review of procedures, discussion groups and surveys which helped us to identify how air fed suits are used and managed. Many examples of good practice were highlighted during the workplace assessments, which have been included in the guidance. In conjunction with this, laboratory trials at HSL investigated the physiological and ergonomic effects of wearing air fed suits in different environments. The trials used different suits provided by sites, and simulated workplace activities based on decommissioning. Data from the trials was used to highlight recommended maximum safe entry durations and recommended water volumes needed for rehydration, which is included in the guidance. Were any licensees consulted during the production of the guidance? The outcomes from different stages of the project were reviewed and discussed with the industry stakeholder group, which included licensees. The group was also involved in creating and finalising the guidance. Who should read the guidance? The guidance will be of interest to a number of stakeholders including regulators, management, safety representatives, radiological protection practitioners, health professionals, nuclear decommissioning workers and PPE manufacturers. Where can I view the guidance? The guidance document and a short video clip to support the guidance can be found here page 20 of 21 pages

21 Looking ahead Find out more about us: Previous ONR community forum A year on from the publication of Mike Weightman s final report on the implications of the Fukushima disaster on the UK nuclear industry, ONR will publish an implementation report in Autumn 2012, which will provide a progress update on each of the recommendations. ONR will host an open forum for communities neighbouring nuclear licensed sites Hinkley Point A, B and the proposed new Hinkley point C, towards the end of Q2. The forum will provide an opportunity for the community to ask questions about how ONR regulates safety and security at the nuclear licensed sites. More information will be provided in due course. ONR will host its fourth NGO forum at the beginning of Q3 following publication of the Fukushima implementation report, which will be the main topic of discussion. Sign up to our ebulletin for the latest news from the Office for Nuclear Regulation: Visit our website: Follow ONR on Find out more about a career in ONR: Crown copyright Issued by the Office for Nuclear Regulation. If you wish to reuse this information visit for details. Published 07/12. page 21 of 21 pages