Executive summary
Date(s) of inspection:
February 2026
Aim of inspection
The Waste Treatment Complex (WTC) is a critical facility for the national Alpha resilience strategy. Under this strategy, WTC is required to continue operation until at least 2047 - 12 years beyond its design life of 2035. Significant asset care and maintenance of this facility is therefore essential to achieve the life extension. However, intelligence from recent events suggests a trend of reliability issues on the pressure systems, lifting equipment and drum compactor.
This intervention will assess the adequacy of Sellafield Limited’s asset management arrangements within the Waste Treatment Complex, including a review of the condition of the physical assets. It will involve targeted sampling of the arrangements for compliance with the Pressure Systems Safety Regulations (PSSR) 2000 and the Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations (LOLER) 1998, both in support of effective asset management and to verify compliance with each regulation in its own right.
Subject(s) of inspection
- Lifting / LOLER - Rating: GREEN
- Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations - Rating: GREEN
- Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 (PUWER) - Rating: GREEN
- PSSR - Rating: GREEN
Key findings, inspector's opinions and reasons for judgement made
The Waste Treatment Complex (WTC) is a critical facility for the national Alpha resilience strategy. WTC is required to extend its operational life by 12 years to run until 2047. This means significant asset care and maintenance of this facility is essential to achieve the life extension.
The purpose of my inspection was to seek assurance that the asset management arrangements for WTC are suitable and sufficient to ensure that the facility will be able to support operations for the extended operational life.
We sampled the WTC Asset Management plan implementation, as well as the arrangements in place for delivering PSSR and LOLER compliance.
We undertook a walkdown of the WTC facility including the compactor control room, grout plant, compressed air and steam systems.
We noted the facility was in good condition with clear evidence of effective routine maintenance and plant husbandry.
The facility demonstrated a forward thinking approach in development of Asset Management practices such as the construction of a full size replica of the compactor glovebox including internal furniture so they can plan and optimise the upgrade works in a safe environment.
We found that WTC had put significant resource, time and effort in revealing and resolving historic compliance gaps relating to PUWER, PSSR and LOLER.
The WTC facility at Sellafield Ltd have demonstrated the adequacy of their arrangements for PSSR 2000, LOLER 1998 and Asset Management warranting an intervention rating of GREEN (no formal action).
I identified a minor shortfall relating to steam system maintenance, I will take regulatory action in line with ONR’s enforcement policy statement.
Conclusion
Upon consideration of the ONR guidance on inspection ratings, I judge that a rating of GREEN (no formal action) is appropriate for the evidence sampled.
I provided feedback to Sellafield Ltd on the inspection findings at the close-out meeting on site.
In terms of the steam system maintenance shortfall identified, I will consider the appropriate enforcement actions and associated corrective actions through application of the ONR Enforcement Management Model.