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Contents
03 Introduction
05 The UK nuclear industry
12 Safety of the nuclear industry
24 Security of the civil nuclear estate
26 Emergency planning and preparedness
28 Transport of radioactive materials
29 International activities
32 Nuclear safeguards
33 List of abbreviations
34 Further reading
Introduction
The The Office for Nuclear Regulation In performing our interventions we are
(ONR) independently regulates safety required to comply with the Regulators’
and security at 37 licensed nuclear sites Code, which requires regulatory frameworks
in the UK. These include the existing to support business through innovation
fleet of operating reactors, fuel cycle with the aim of breaking down barriers and
facilities, waste management and boosting UK productivity. In addition, the
decommissioning sites and the defence Government requires that UK regulatory
nuclear sector. In addition, we regulate frameworks support innovation, emerging
the design and construction of new technologies and the digital economy.
nuclear facilities and the transport of
We adopt a modern enabling regulatory
nuclear and radioactive materials and
approach to all aspects of our regulation,
work with the international inspectorates
with the aim being to achieve longer-term
to ensure that safeguards obligations
strategic safety and security delivery.
for the UK are met. We co-operate with
Our approach involves working with
international regulators on safety and
licensees and duty holders, and other
security issues of common concern,
relevant stakeholders, to seek effective
including associated research.
delivery against clear and prioritised
The responsibility for delivering a safe safety and security outcomes. We are
and secure nuclear industry rests with clear with licensees and duty-holders
the nuclear industry itself. Our role, that our independence in regulatory
captured in our mission statement, is to decision making is not compromised and
provide efficient and effective regulation we continue to hold them to account in
of the nuclear industry, holding it to accordance with our mission.
account on behalf of the public. We use
This guide describes our regulatory activity
a wide range of regulatory tools to
and explains how we carry out our work in
influence positively those we regulate,
a clear and straightforward manner. It puts
and to encourage the achievement of
the regulation of the nuclear industry into
sustained excellence and continuous
context showing that despite its hazards,
improvement in safety and security
all the activities we regulate are performed
performance across the nuclear sector.
in a safe and secure manner.
As ONR acts on behalf of the public,
it is vital that we regulate with rigour,
diligence and with an appropriate level of
assurance that our work is targeted and
proportionate to the hazards and risks
presented by the industry at the right Richard Savage
quality and cost. Chief Nuclear Inspector
• Dounreay
Dounreay Site Restoration Ltd
Clyde Naval Base MoD •
• Vulcan Naval Reactor
Hunterston B EDF Energy • Test Establishment
Hunterston A Magnox Ltd • MoD
Nuclear power has been produced Today, the UK’s nuclear activity consists of:
commercially since the 1950s and grew
generating electricity through power-
out of the policy need for a UK nuclear
producing nuclear reactors;
deterrent. At Windscale in Cumbria, two
reactors were built to produce plutonium non-power-producing nuclear
for defence purposes. These were then facilities, e.g. producing and
followed at the adjacent Calder Hall site by reprocessing nuclear fuel;
four energy producing reactors designed
decommissioning of nuclear power
to supply electricity. This saw the UK host
reactors and other facilities;
the world’s first commercial nuclear power
station in 1956. new nuclear build; and
defence facilities (licensed and
non-licensed sites).
Table 1: UK operating (power producing) reactors
Dungeness B (two EDF Energy EDF Energy Nuclear AGR 520 1983
reactors) Generation Ltd (NGL)
Hartlepool (two reactors) EDF Energy EDF Energy Nuclear AGR 595 1983
Generation Ltd (NGL)
Heysham 1 (two reactors) EDF Energy EDF Energy Nuclear AGR 585 1983
Generation Ltd (NGL)
Heysham 2 (two reactors) EDF Energy EDF Energy Nuclear AGR 615 1988
Generation Ltd (NGL)
Hunterston B (two EDF Energy EDF Energy Nuclear AGR 430 1976
reactors) Generation Ltd (NGL)
Hinkley B (two reactors) EDF Energy EDF Energy Nuclear AGR 430 1976
Generation Ltd (NGL)
Torness (two reactors) EDF Energy EDF Energy Nuclear AGR 600 1988
Generation Ltd (NGL)
Sizewell B (single reactor) EDF Energy EDF Energy Nuclear PWR 1188 1995
Generation Ltd (NGL)
This table does not include the reactor sites that are no longer operating
There are eight operating power stations, producing electricity for the national grid with
three different types of reactors (refer to Table 1).
Wylfa power station (courtesy of Magnox Ltd) Dungeness B power station (courtesy of EDF NGL
Dounreay, NDA Dounreay Site Originally used for research, development and Decommissioning
Caithness Scotland Restoration Limited prototype operation of fast reactors, it is now of the reactors
being decommissioned. The site still stores used and other plants is
and unused nuclear fuel, together with liquid well advanced
reprocessing liquors and other waste.
Winfrith, Dorset NDA Magnox Ltd Former nuclear power research and development Decommissioning
site, housing laboratories and research/prototype
reactors.
Harwell, Oxon United Magnox Ltd Former nuclear power research and development Decommissioning
Kingdom site, housing laboratories and research reactors.
Atomic The site still stores intermediate level radioactive
Energy waste arising from its historic operations.
Authority
Springfields, NDA Westinghouse Manufacture of fuels for AGRs and light water Operational and
Preston Electric UK Limited reactors, manufacture of uranium hexafluoride, decommissioning/
processing of residues. demolition of
redundant plants
and buildings
Capenhurst Works, Urenco Ltd Urenco UK Plants producing enriched uranium for Operational and
Chester international markets. The site stores depleted storage
uranium hexafluoride. Part of site operated by a
tenant on behalf of the NDA to provide the UK site
for uranic materials storage.
Low Level Waste NDA LLW Repository Ltd UK’s national low level waste disposal site. Operational
Repository, Cumbria
Metals Recycling Studsvik Studsvik UK Decontaminates and recycles metal waste as part Operational
Facility, Cumbria UK of the UK’s low level waste strategy.
Imperial College Imperial Imperial College At the early stages of a decommissioning Decommissioning
Consort Reactor, College programme.
Berkshire
Sellafield, Cumbria NDA Sellafield Ltd The largest nuclear site in Europe with possibly the Operational -
world’s largest radioactive materials inventory in reprocessing
one place. Operations centre around the nuclear plants and
fuel cycle, with two spent fuel reprocessing plants decommissioning
and a number of waste and effluent treatment
plants and associated storage facilities. Many are
at different stages of decommissioning. A key
activity is moving radioactive materials from ageing
legacy facilities to more robust modern facilities.
The site also houses the decommissioning Calder
Hall Magnox reactors.
Sellafield
Sellafield is a large and complex nuclear UK’s oldest reactors) will be completed in
fuel reprocessing site situated in Cumbria. 2020 while Advanced Gas cooled Reactor
The site is owned by NDA and has a (AGR) fuel reprocessing will cease in
workforce of around 10,000. Construction 2018. Significant quantities of radioactive
of the site commenced around 1950 and wastes from past reprocessing activities
it is the location where the spent nuclear are stored on the site in facilities that
fuel from the UK’s civil nuclear reactors do not meet modern standards. These
is stored and reprocessed. Reprocessing facilities pose unacceptable risks to the
involves dissolving the nuclear fuel in public and workers and dealing with them
concentrated acid. The resultant highly is a national priority. Reducing these risks
active liquors are then turned into glass is consequently ONR’s main focus and
(vitrified) for long term storage whilst the strenuous efforts are being put into the
uranium and plutonium extracted from the recovery and treatment of these wastes; a
fuel are stored for future use. It is planned process anticipated to take between two
that reprocessing of Magnox fuel (from and three decades to complete.
Defence facilities
Rolls Royce Marine Rolls-Royce Rolls Royce Carries out the manufacture of nuclear
Power Operations plc Marine Power fuel for submarine reactors. They also
Limited, Derby, Operations operate a low energy naval research
Derbyshire (two sites) Limited reactor. These are separate licensed
sites with a single operator.
Devonshire Dock BAE Systems BAE Systems Carries out submarine construction and
Complex, Barrow in Maritime - Marine Limited commissioning activities. Currently the
Furness, Cumbria Submarines Astute Class hunter killer submarines
are being built there for the Royal Navy.
Rosyth Royal Dockyard Babcock Rosyth Royal Most of the nuclear related facilities
Limited, Fife International Dockyard have been decommissioned, leaving
Group Limited only a small inventory of radioactive
waste. Defuelled submarines are stored
at Rosyth off the licensed site, but are
occasionally brought onto the licensed
site for work to be carried out.
Table 4: Annual risk of death for various causes averaged over the entire population
(taken from Annex 4 of HSE’s Reducing risks, protecting people)
Cancer 1 in 387
Measuring exposure
For nuclear power station reactors, the The unit of radiation exposure is the
main hazard derives from the large amount sievert (Sv). One Sv represents a large
of radioactivity in the fuel which has been dose and in an adult equates to increased
created by nuclear fission. To ensure that chance of getting cancer of about 1 in 20
this radioactivity is not released, nuclear (for comparison, the normal chance of
power stations employ the barriers of dying from cancer is about 1 in 4). Most
controlling, cooling and containment. exposures will be measured in millisieverts
(mSv) which is one thousandth of a sievert.
Controlling nuclear and chemical
reactions to limit the release of The annual legal limits for normal radiation
energy will prevent the degradation exposure from nuclear facilities are
of the containment and escape of 20 mSv for radiation workers on plants,
radioactive material. and 1 mSv for members of the public
who may be exposed by discharges and
Cooling the radioactive material, if it is
direct radiation from the facility. The legal
heat-generating, ensures that excessive
requirement to take all necessary steps to
temperatures do not occur which may
restrict exposures, so far as is reasonably
degrade the containment and lead to
practicable exposure means that radiation
the escape of radioactive material.
workers in the UK are exposed, on
Containment of the radiation or average in a year, to around 1 mSv. This
radioactive material is done by is in addition to the average 2.7 mSv
shielding with concrete walls, which per year we all incur from our normal
stop or absorb radiation, and with activities. Exposure to natural radiation
robust vessels, cells and flasks to stop varies around the country depending on
radioactive material escaping. the local geology. Some areas, such as
Cornwall with its high amounts of naturally
In non-power-generating nuclear facilities,
radioactive granite, give rise to annual
some of the most significant hazards
background exposures around four times
arises from heat-generating radioactive
the average (i.e.10 mSv). We also incur
materials in facilities dealing with used
increased cosmic radiation doses when
nuclear fuel. Here, cooling will be a key
we fly, as well as radiation doses when we
feature and where there is the potential
eat certain naturally radioactive foods, or
for release of radioactivity, there is always
when we are exposed to certain medical
the need to ensure containment.
procedures such as X-rays.
Ensuring safety
Safety legislation
The legal framework for the nuclear A key principle of the UK’s approach is
industry is based around the Health and that nuclear licensees are required to
Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 (HSWA), build, operate and decommission nuclear
the Energy Act 2013 and the Nuclear sites in a way that ensures that risks are
Installations Act 1965. kept as low as reasonably practicable.
This is referred to as the ALARP principle
HSWA places duties on all employers,
and requires licensees to demonstrate that
including those in the nuclear industry,
they have done everything ‘reasonably
to look after the health and safety of
practicable’ to reduce risks. This requires
both their employees and the public.
them to balance the level of risk posed
However, because of the particular
by their activities against the measures
hazards associated with the nuclear
needed to control that risk in terms of
industry, including the potential for
money, time or trouble. However, they do
accidents to cause widespread harm
not have to take action if those measures
and social disruption, further legislation
would be grossly disproportionate to the
is also in place, specifically the Nuclear
level of risk averted.
Installations Act 1965. Additionally, there
are provisions for nuclear regulations to be
Ensuring overall safety
made under the Energy Act 2013, as well
as specific regulations under HSWA such In addition to nuclear safety ONR is also
as the Ionising Radiations Regulations responsible for regulating non-nuclear,
1999 (IRR99) and Radiation (Emergency or conventional, health and safety
Preparedness and Public Information) on nuclear licensed sites. The aim of
Regulations 2001 (REPPIR). regulation is to ensure that the site
has reduced risks to employees and
other persons so far as is reasonably
The legal framework practicable. This includes fire safety.
for the nuclear
industry is based
around the Health
and Safety at Work
etc. Act 1974, the
Energy Act 2013
and the Nuclear
Installations Act 1965. Torness power station (courtesy of EDF Energy)
Regulatory intelligence
decisions are robust and consistent, Nuclear sites may experience unplanned
assessment reports are peer reviewed events that can be described as
internally and authorised by a senior anomalies, incidents or accidents
inspector. depending on their severity. In general,
the more significant the event the more
Inspection is the structured gathering
that could be learned from it. In order to
of intelligence about nuclear licensees’
prevent the recurrence of incidents and
safety and security performance, through
accidents, ONR encourages licensees
direct first-hand observation of plant,
and others with legal duties on the site to
procedures and work activities and the
report events to ensure lessons are being
questioning of staff on the site. Safety
derived. This provides assurance that the
inspection activities focus on checking
dutyholder is taking steps to learn from
licensee compliance with the nuclear site
mistakes and helps ONR focus attention
licence conditions and enforcing other
in areas where further investigation or
safety legislation for which ONR is the
advice might be needed. This contributes
statutory regulator.
towards a culture of continuous
ONR targets its attention on sites and improvement in the nuclear industry.
facilities which hold the highest hazard
The UK uses the International Nuclear
and pose the greatest risk. Where an
and Radiological Event Scale (INES) to
operator’s safety standards fall short
rate reported events. The INES scale is
of what is required by law, ONR will
a tool devised and maintained by the
implement an enforcement response
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)
which is proportionate to the degree of
for use worldwide, to facilitate consistent
shortfall. ONR generally seeks to bring
communication and understanding
about safety improvements through a
between the technical community,
persuasive and influencing approach,
the media and the public of the safety
but it will increase the severity of its
significance of events associated with
enforcement action as necessary,
sources of radiation.
including taking criminal prosecutions
where appropriate.
In reporting events to ONR, nuclear sites The Fukushima accident in 2011 and
provide an initial INES rating for the event. Chernobyl in 1986 were classified as
ONR employs a nuclear safety inspector Level 7. In the UK there has only been one
as the UK INES National Officer to verify event that was rated as a nuclear accident,
the ratings given by the site. ie Level 4 or above; this was the Windscale
fire in 1957, which was retrospectively
Events are classified on the scale at seven
classified as a Level 5 event. This event
levels:
was instrumental in the Government
Levels 1-3 are in the incident category. setting up the Nuclear Installations
Inspectorate, since incorporated into
Levels 4-7 are in the accident category.
ONR, to provide independent regulation of
Events without safety significance are the civil nuclear power programme which
classified as “Below Scale / Level 0”. was then being embarked upon.
Major accident
7
6 Serious accident
Accident
5 Accident with
wider consequences
4 Accident with
local consequences
3 Serious incident
Incident 2 Incident
1 Anomaly
Regulatory Assurance
In line with recognised good practice assure regulatory decisions and activities.
and international guidelines, ONR has a The Directorate is divided in to five
range of internal assurance mechanisms separate functions:
to ensure the robustness of its processes,
Regulatory Training ensures that
decision-making and other activities.
ONR’s people have the necessary skills
The Regulatory Assurance Directorate and knowledge to perform their regulatory
is independent from ONR’s operational duties. Beginning with effective and
programmes and aims to secure the timely staff induction, and backed by a
confidence of stakeholders including busy portfolio of both legal core training
Government and the ONR Board and and specialist technical courses, the
Executive. It is headed by the Director team delivers a professional capability
of Regulatory Assurance who is also a development and refresher programme
member of ONR’s senior executive team. to all ONR inspectors. The ONR Learning
and Development team ensures that
The Regulatory Assurance Directorate
ONR embeds the ethos of a learning
aims to complement the specialist
organisation and promotes a consistent
knowledge and experience of ONR
approach to regulatory and technical
inspectors and the management
challenges.
processes that are followed to routinely
Security legislation
Effective security
arrangements in
the nuclear industry
are essential.
Responding to an emergency
Although the design, operation and All nuclear operators and relevant local
maintenance of nuclear installations authorities prepare, in consultation with
makes the risk of accidents involving the emergency services and other bodies,
the release of radiation extremely low, emergency plans for the protection of the
regulations are in place to ensure there are public and their workforce in a nuclear
adequate arrangements for responding emergency. These emergency plans
to a nuclear or radiological emergency. are subject to regular tests under three
These regulations are enforced by ONR. categories:
The Department of Energy and Climate Level 1 exercises are held at each
Change (DECC) is the Lead Government nuclear site generally once a year
Department in the event of any emergency and concentrate primarily on the
resulting from off-site radiological operator’s actions on and off the site.
consequences from a licensed civil nuclear
Level 2 exercises are usually held
site in England and Wales. In Scotland,
triennially and are aimed primarily
the main national coordinating role would
at demonstrating the adequacy of
fall to the Scottish Government. DECC
the arrangements made by the local
has established national governance
authority to deal with the off-site
arrangements where representatives from
aspects of the emergency.
nuclear operators, police, fire service, local
authority emergency planning officers, Level 3 exercises are held annually
nuclear regulators and government to rehearse the wider involvement of
departments and agencies come together central government.
to consider measures required to respond
to a nuclear emergency.
The police, working in conjunction with given to the level of risk presented by the
other emergency services, expert bodies, site, local and practical considerations
and local and national agencies, are relevant to the implementation of the
responsible for coordinating response plan itself, and any other relevant factors
effort locally. The lead government that ONR judges to be necessary in the
department coordinates the response at interests of public safety. The off-site
a national level, briefing ministers and the emergency planning area is based on
UK’s international partners, and acting the effects of a reasonably foreseeable
as the main source of information to the radiation emergency, and whilst not
public and the media at national level. currently a statutory requirement, it
is good practice that local authorities
ONR works closely with Public Health
consider the means by which the area
England’s Centre for Radiation, Chemical
might be extended in the highly unlikely
and Environmental Hazards which
event of a larger accident.
provides guidance on public protection
countermeasures. Such countermeasures
include sheltering, evacuation and the
taking of potassium iodate tablets to
reduce the uptake of radiation to the
public in the early stages of some types of
nuclear emergency.
ONR determines the size of the local
authority off-site emergency planning
area in accordance with the Radiation
(Emergency Preparedness and Public
Information) Regulations 2001 (REPPIR).
In determining the size, consideration is Emergency exercise
ONR regulates the movement of all Although complex, this arrangement has
radioactive material in Great Britain (with worked successfully for many years.
the exception of some material related
Significant incidents or accidents must
to defence). This includes flasks carrying
be reported to ONR so that they can be
spent nuclear fuel from operating and
investigated and appropriate lessons
decommissioning nuclear reactors, radio-
learnt and acted on. ONR implements an
pharmaceuticals needed for hospitals,
inspection and audit programme to judge
and sealed radiocative sources needed,
the extent to which the nuclear industry
for instance in the construction industry,
and other duty holders comply with
or for the non-destructive testing of North
transport regulatory requirements. ONR
Sea oil rigs.
also reviews the emergency arrangements
The regulations for the transport of of consigners and carriers and ensure that
radioactive materials are prescriptive these are appropriately tested.
to meet international requirements that
enable transport of packages across
international borders. The UK regulations
are based on those of the IAEA, which
are applied internationally. ONR engages
with UK industry and interested parties
regarding proposed changes to the
regulations, and represents the interests
of the UK at the Transport Safety
Standards Committee at the IAEA. The
UK regulations also reference other
international regulations for radioactive
materials transported by land, sea and air. (Courtesy of IAEA)
International Activities
ONR meeting with Hitachi-GE, the British Embassy and the Nuclear Regulatory Authority (NRA),
Japan’s nuclear safety regulatory body.
Nuclear safeguards
Nuclear safeguards are measures put The primary safeguards ‘regulators’ are
in place to verify that countries comply the international safeguards inspectorates
with their international obligations not to of the IAEA and the European
use civil nuclear materials (plutonium, Commission (Euratom), not the ONR.
uranium and thorium) for the manufacture This means ONR’s safeguards role differs
of nuclear explosives. Since it is the from what it does in regulating nuclear
country itself that is regarded as the safety, security and transport. ONR’s
potential diverter of nuclear material, safeguards team works with the Euratom
confidence about the absence of diversion and IAEA safeguards inspectorates and
is provided by international (i.e. third UK organisations subject to safeguards
party) verification. Such safeguards are requirements so that safeguards
a cornerstone of the international non- obligations for the UK are met in a
proliferation regime, and safeguards proportionate manner. ONR also fulfils
obligations in the UK derive from: safeguards-related reporting obligations
on behalf of the UK Government and
the Euratom Treaty, which requires
provides advice and support to DECC,
European Commission application of
who are responsible to Parliament for the
safeguards to all civil nuclear material
UK’s international safeguards obligations,
in the European Union; and
and elsewhere in Government on
the safeguards agreement between safeguards implementation in the UK.
the UK, the International Atomic
Energy Agency (IAEA) and Euratom
in connection with the Treaty on
the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear
Nuclear safeguards are
Weapons (NPT), under which the IAEA measures put in place
can choose to inspect civil nuclear
material at any facility in the UK,
to verify that countries
and the additional protocol to that comply with their
agreement.
international obligations
not to use nuclear
materials (plutonium,
uranium and thorium)
for the manufacture of
nuclear explosives.
List of abbreviations
Further reading