The Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR) has published the UK National Action Plan following a European-wide peer review of fire protection at nuclear installations.

The work forms part of the European Nuclear Safety Regulators Group’s second Topical Peer Review (TPR2), which focused on fire protection due to the potential impact of fire on nuclear safety systems.

The ONR led the UK’s participation in the review, bringing together regulatory assessments and licensee self-assessments to produce a National Assessment Report for European peer review. The findings have subsequently informed the UK National Action Plan.

The review considered a representative sample of installations across the UK nuclear lifecycle. These included EDF’s operating and defuelling reactors; the Hinkley Point C construction site in Somerset; Sellafield’s waste and decommissioning facilities; Urenco’s nuclear fuel enrichment plant at Capenhurst; the Springfields nuclear fuel production site in Lancashire; and Dounreay’s Prototype Fast Reactor complex in Scotland.

Overall, UK installations were found to meet the required fire safety standards, with no fundamental, sector-wide shortfalls identified.

However, the peer review highlighted three areas for improvement. Recommendations were made for Springfields, Dounreay and Sellafield to strengthen how their nuclear fire safety arrangements are formalised, linked and prioritised.

These areas had already been identified by the licensees during the self-assessment stage.

Improvement work is underway at Dounreay, while Sellafield has established a new Fire Safety Strategy Programme.

Strengthening fire safety arrangements

A recurring theme within the National Assessment Report is the need for licensees to strengthen the way they identify, assess and record combined and consequential hazards involving fire.

The ONR will continue to monitor progress through its existing regulatory activities, including inspections, regulatory issues and Safety Case reviews.

The regulator also considered examples of international good practice identified through TPR2. These include learning from fire incidents outside the nuclear sector; fire testing or substantiation of fire safety measures; the dynamic management of transient fire loads; and the use or consideration of thermographic techniques.

TPR2 has provided a valuable source of international learning in these areas, and the ONR will share relevant findings with UK nuclear licensees.

Following the UK’s departure from the European Union, it became an observer of ENSREG. Although the UK is no longer legally required to participate in the Topical Peer Review process, the Government chose to continue its involvement.

The ONR was asked to co-ordinate the UK’s participation on behalf of the then Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy.

Adequate arrangements

Jacob Plummer, the ONR’s principal inspector for nuclear safety and project lead for TPR2, commented: “This peer review, undertaken with significant support from UK licensees, confirms that nuclear fire safety across the UK’s nuclear sector remains robust, with adequate arrangements in place across the lifecycle from new-build to decommissioning.”

Plummer continued: “Where we’ve identified areas for improvement, particularly so around how licensees record and assess combined hazards involving fire, we’re already seeing meaningful progress.”  

In conclusion, Plummer stated: “We will continue to hold the industry to the highest standards, tracking these actions through our established regulatory tools to ensure the UK’s nuclear sites remain safe both now and into the future.”

View the source.

Our eNews provides regular insight into industry trends, news headlines, and product and service information. For more articles like this Subscribe to our enews.