- Site: Sizewell B
- IR number: 21-016
- Date: April 2021
- LC numbers: N/A
Executive summary
Purpose of Intervention
This report is on ONR’s assessment of EDF Energy Nuclear Generation Ltd.’s radiological risk management arrangements during the 2021 statutory outage of the Sizewell B reactor. The site intervention sought to establish if the license’s statutory outage work programme was being conducted in compliance with the Ionising Radiations Regulations 2017 (IRR17).
The aim of the Radiation Protection (RP) intervention was:
- To meet the requirements of the Sizewell statutory outage project as defined in the ONR outage inspection plan.
- To provide regulatory confidence in relation to RP and compliance with Ionising Radiations Regulations 2017 (IRR’17).
- To inform the ONR decision relating to the issue of a Licence Instrument for consent for return to service of the Sizewell B Reactor.
Interventions Carried Out by ONR
The intervention focussed on the following during the opening meeting and plant inspection:
- Summary of outage programmed work and its radiological implications.
- NGL RP personnel organisation including level of support available.
- Radiation protection input to outage work planning including risk assessment.
- Operational dose management, specifically day-to-day dose management and profiling during the outage.
- Radiological event investigation and follow-up including response to leakages and spillages of radioactive material.
- Outage contractor selection, training, control, supervision, and competence.
- Radiation survey instrument maintenance and support arrangements including adequate monitoring equipment resources for the outage.
- Radioactive source management.
- Health Physics clearance arrangements.
Explanation of Judgement if Safety System Not Judged to be Adequate
Not applicable.
Key Findings, Inspector's Opinions and Reasons for Judgements Made
The RP inspection did not reveal any significant nuclear safety concerns relevant to the Sizewell B Reactor outage that require action by the Licensee or further follow-up by ONR.
Discussions with the Head of Radiological Protection for Sizewell B gave me suitable assurance that there is effective RP practice in place and an adequate level of compliance with the requirements of IRR’17.
An inspection rating of Green was therefore assigned against IRR’17.
Conclusion of Intervention
I identified no matters that should prevent ONR granting Consent under license condition 30 allowing the Licensee to return the Sizewell B Reactor to power in due course.