Executive summary
Date(s) of inspection
- July 2026
Aim of inspection
The aim of this inspection was to determine whether Hartlepool Nuclear Power station meets the required leadership and management for safety (LMfS) standards and to assess the effectiveness of the Performance Improvement Programme (PIP) in the LMfS area. This inspection was the first in a series of inspections associated with the station's significantly-enhanced regulatory attention level. These inspections are intended to understand Hartlepool station’s delivery of its PIP.
Relevant Licence Conditions (LCs) were used during this inspection:
- LC36(1) requires the licensee to ‘provide and maintain adequate human resources to ensure the safe operation of the licensed site’.
- LC36(2) requires the licensee to 'make and implement adequate arrangements to control any change to its organisational structure or resources which may affect safety'.
- LC17(1) requires the licensee to 'establish and implement management systems which give due priority to safety'.
Any inspection findings were reported where applicable.
Subject(s) of inspection
- LC 17 - Management systems - Rating: Not Rated
- LC 36 - Organisational capability - Rating: Not Rated
Key findings, inspector's opinions and reasons for judgement made
Leadership & Management for Safety
The inspection sampled relevant parts of the station's Performance Improvement Plan (PIP) from a leadership and management for safety perspective. The inspection found that the sponsors and owners of the PIP cornerstones and activities were able to clearly articulate the key underpinning leadership and management for safety issues that the station aimed to address.
Key positive findings included evidence that PIP sponsors and owners were able to make a credible case that the intended activities were likely to address the underpinning issues identified. Positive observations were also made in relation to early PIP activities, including updated governance arrangements, the Hartlepool Leader’s Pocket Book setting out accountabilities, standards and expectations, the 100 Day Safety Campaign, use of the OneRisk tool, and overall progress in risk management.
The overall judgement from the inspection was that, in the context of Significantly Enhanced Regulatory Attention, the leadership and management for safety concerns raised by ONR were likely to be addressed through the effective and efficient delivery of the relevant parts of the PIP. The inspection therefore provided early confidence in the PIP from a leadership and management for safety perspective.
However, as with the wider ONR themed inspection programme, the evidence sampled did not yet provide sufficient assurance that delivery, effectiveness and sustainability had been fully demonstrated. These matters will need to be tested through the series of planned follow-up inspections scheduled for the remainder of the year and continuing into early next year. The inspection also identified areas where further advice was provided and where continued improvement would be required as the PIP matured.
Conclusion
Overall, based upon the findings described above, I concluded that Hartlepool had made a positive early start in defining and progressing the leadership and management for safety elements of its PIP. Further regulatory sampling will be required to determine whether the intended improvements are embedded, consistently effective and capable of supporting sustained improvement in station performance. In line with the ONR strategy for the significantly enhanced regulatory attention level, this inspection was not rated.