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HM Naval Base Clyde

Quarterly report for 1 April to 30 June 2007

Contents

Foreword

This report is issued as part of the Health and Safety Executive's commitment to make information about inspection and regulatory activities relating to the above site available to the public. It is for distribution to members of the Clyde Local Liaison Committee and covers activities associated with the regulation of nuclear safety at HM Naval Base Clyde.

These reports are distributed quarterly and are available also from the Internet at hse.gov.uk/nuclear/index.htm. Site Inspectors of HM Nuclear Installations Inspectorate (NII) normally attend LLC meetings and will be happy to respond to questions raised there or subsequently by members of the LLC.  Any other person wishing to inquire about matters covered by this report should contact the HSE’s Nuclear Directorate on 0151-951-4103.

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Introduction

Visits are made to the HM Naval Base Clyde for the purpose of undertaking routine plant and project inspections or meeting site management or safety representatives. The Base consists of two sites at Faslane and Coulport. HSE-NII inspectors visited the base during the quarter as follows:

30 May to 1 June

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Routine matters

HSE-NII’s normal method of business is to inspect HM Naval Base Clyde in accordance with a planned inspection programme and to discuss any matters arising with site staff.  Inspections are undertaken for the purpose of monitoring compliance with the relevant provisions of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act (1974) including the Ionising Radiations Regulations 1999 (IRRs), and the Radiation (Emergency Preparedness and Public Information) Regulations 2001 (REPPIR) at the two sites.

Meetings are also held routinely to discuss matters that affect the continued safe operation of the base.  Discussions are also held with the Ministry of Defence Regulator, on matters of mutual interest.

On 30 May to 1 June 2007, the site inspector and two other NII Inspectors visited the Faslane site to witness a redemonstration of a number of aspects of the on-site emergency plan. This followed from the need to address the learning points from the Short Sermon exercise that took place in November 2006.

The inspection focussed on the following aspects of nuclear accident response which were shown to need reinforcement during Exercise Short Sermon 2006. The arrangements that were tested during the exercise were:

  1. Management and care of personnel on site during a nuclear emergency including the management of evacuation of on-site personnel
  2. Nuclear Accident Head Quarters (NAHQ) Command and Control including accident prognosis and mitigation planning.
  3. Management of interventions to mitigate the accident and manage personnel on site.
  4. Emergency Zone Reception Centre (EZRC) operation.
  5. It was judged that the tested aspects of the emergency arrangements were adequately demonstrated.

The radiological protection secondary monitoring trial has been completed and a report has been sent to HSE-NII. This report is being assessed by an NSE-NII Specialist Inspector. A letter will be sent to the Site with HSE-NII comments once the assessment has been completed.

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Non-routine matters

There were no non-routine matters this quarter.

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Regulatory activity

The Inspectorate has taken no formal enforcement action on the Clyde sites during this period.

 

Nuclear Safety Directorate
Health and Safety Executive
Redgrave Court
Merton Road
Bootle
Merseyside
L20 7HS