Health and Safety
Executive / Commission
Nuclear
LLC reports
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 Hartlepool Local Community Liaison Council and covers activities associated with the regulation of safety at Hartlepool Power Station. These reports are distributed quarterly. Site Inspectors of HM Nuclear Installations Inspectorate (part of the Health and Safety Executive's Nuclear Directorate) attend LCLC meetings and will be happy to respond there to questions raised by members of the LCLC. Any person wishing to inquire about matters covered by this report should contact the HSE, Nuclear Directorate on 0151-951-3484/3290
This report will be placed on the HSE website at
http://www.hse.gov.uk/nuclear/index.htm under “Local Liaison Committee Reports”.
The site inspector visited the site on four occasions during the quarter:
As part of their routine work NII inspectors inspect for compliance against the requirements of the Station’s Nuclear Site Licence, the Health and Safety at Work Act and other relevant safety legislation. They monitor events, plant operations, projects, modifications and safety case changes and any other matters which are important to safety. Planned inspections during the quarter included, emergency arrangements (LC11), duly authorised and other suitably qualified and experienced persons (LC12), periodic review of safety (LC15), modification to existing plant (LC22), control and supervision of operations (LC26), and control of organisational change (LC36).
In general the station’s arrangements were found to be satisfactory. In those areas where improvements were identified, satisfactory commitments to address the issues were made by the station. Routine aspects of particular significance are summarised below:
This exercise was held on the 16th January after an earlier scheduled exercise was postponed due to poor weather conditions. In general, NII considered that the exercise was an adequate demonstration of the stations’ emergency arrangements and during this exercise there were many successful aspects and good decisions made. However, there were two aspects of the demonstration of the stations’ arrangements which we considered need improvement, the communications within the command chain and the use of the mobile Access Control Point, and a further demonstration of these aspects will be held in the next quarter.
As part of their planned inspection, site inspectors examine safety related events that have occurred and the Licensee’s response to them. Generally the Licensee’s internal system for following up events is robust and the appropriate actions are implemented. One noteworthy event occurred during this reporting period.
The fire alarm annunciation system uses both local sirens and the Public Address system and is tested under the Maintenance Schedule. A wiring deficiency was found in three of the seven fire zones and a justification written for the temporary safety shortfall. Instead of then testing the system, to check other parameters and accepting this shortfall, Maintenance Schedule suspension paperwork was then raised and none of these fire systems were tested. This was revealed in subsequent checks, but not until the Maintenance Schedule compliance dates had passed. The event was reported in a timely manner to NII once it was revealed and has been rated as an INES 1 event.
The initial investigation appears to point primarily to human error, but the site inspector will keep an open mind until the formal internal investigation has completed due process and is reported to him.Under Health and Safety legislation the Site Inspector, or other HSE Inspectors, may issue formal notices to secure improvements to safety. No such notices were issued during the reporting period.
The Inspectorate has powers under the Licence to issue Consents, Approvals and Directions. In addition the Inspectorate uses Licence Instruments to issue Specifications and Agreements under the conditions of the Licence. These are all called Licence Instruments.
Licence Instrument 515 granting agreement to BEGL proposals for changes to the Board arrangements was issued on 5th February 2007.
Nuclear Safety Directorate
Health and Safety Executive
Redgrave Court
Merton Road
Bootle
Merseyside
L20 7HS