- Site: AWE Aldermaston
- IR number: 21-014
- Date: May 2021
- LC numbers: N/A
Executive summary
Purpose of Intervention
The Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR) undertakes all regulatory interventions with the Aldermaston nuclear site licensee, AWE plc (AWE) against a strategy defined by the ONR Weapons sub-Division. In accordance with that strategy, a Leadership and Management for Safety (L&MfS) compliance inspection was undertaken, as planned, on 17-19 May 2021.
The purpose of this intervention was to inspect the readiness for the transition of AWE’s ownership to the Ministry of Defence (MoD) against regulatory expectations for L&MfS. The judgements made by this intervention will be used to inform the regulatory permissioning decision on AWE’s implementation of the proposed transition.
Interventions Carried Out by ONR
The intervention focussed on the people and processes that AWE’s transition has in place to comply with regulatory expectations for L&MfS including consideration of ONR Safety Assessment Principles (SAPs) FP.2 and MS.1-4. The intervention was undertaken via remote desktop discussions, semi-structured interviews with relevant personnel and sampled review of relevant documents and records.
The intervention was performed in line with ONR's guidance requirements (as described in our technical inspection guides) in the areas inspected.
Specifically, this included the TAG for Organisational Change, NS-TAST-GD-048, Revision 6, TIG for LC 36, NS-INSP-GD-036, Revision 1, the TAG for Training and Assuring Personnel Competence, NS-TAST-GD-027, Revision 6, the TIG for LC 10, NS-INSP-GD-010, Revision 3, the TIG for LC12, NS-INSP-GD-012, Revision 3 and ONR’s General Inspection Guide, ONR-INSP-GD-064, Revision 5.
Explanation of Judgement if Safety System Not Judged to be Adequate
Not applicable - this was not a system-based inspection, therefore no judgement in this regard was made.
Key Findings, Inspector's Opinions and Reasons for Judgements Made
Based on the evidence sampled at the time of the intervention against AWE’s LC 36 arrangements and ONR’s associated LC requirements and TIGs, ONR considers that:
- AWE had prepared and implemented an adequate risk assessment for the management of transition to an arm’s length government body;
- AWE is implementing adequate project management discipline over the transition workstreams;
- AWE demonstrated adequate governance over the transition project;
- AWE was unable to provide suitable evidence to demonstrate compliance with its LC10 [training] and LC12 Suitably qualified person or persons (SQEP) arrangements.
Conclusion of Intervention
Based on the findings of the intervention, I consider that AWE has failed to adequately demonstrate implementation of its arrangements for compliance with LC 10 and LC 12 for the transition project, however an adequate risk assessment had been produced and implemented along with adequate governance of the project. I also noted relevant good practice was met when compared with appropriate benchmarks; legal duties were complied with regarding governance and operation of the Transition Management Office. I therefore judge that an inspection rating of Amber (seek Improvement) is merited, in accordance with ONR Guide ONR-INSP-GD-064.