ONR News - 13 November 2018

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13 November 2018


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Welcome to the autumn issue of ONR News

Adriènne Kelbie

In ONR News, we bring you varied stories about our work to regulate the nuclear industry, and seek your comment. Stakeholder feedback has already informed our short and medium term plans, and we’re already thinking about how to engage regarding our new 2020-25 strategy next year. If you have any ideas, please shout!

This month, I’m struck by how many of our stories in this issue centre on collaboration.

You can see it writ large in our leadership of the stress-test mission to Belarus, working with licensees on new security plans, a demanding demolition at Sellafield, and mentoring women in the energy industry.

You will likely see that I’m a firm believer that organisations that look outwards are better run in the interests of the public, and so I’m especially grateful to everyone who helps us do so, across industry, government, regulators and non-governmental organisations, at home and abroad.  

And I hope you can see the pride I take in leading the people who are ONR.  At our recent Board Strategy Day, the mature teamwork of the Senior Leadership Team and Board was palpable, working as one to execute our plans, as we see out the 2020 strategy and begin to shape that of 2025, all supported by a capable, committed and caring workforce of over 600 people.

Adriènne Kelbie
Chief Executive


Board Strategy Day

Are we nearly there yet?

We’re on track to deliver our 2020 Strategic Plan, was the headline from our Board Strategy event in October.The purpose of the day was to stock-take our progress towards our 2016-20 Strategy, consider risks and opportunities and provide assurance to the Board that we’re on course to achieve our priorities by April 2020.

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Our regulatory news

Introducing new SyAPs security plans

In 2017, we introduced new Security Assessment Principles (SyAPs) for the civil nuclear industry, to help industry respond to ever-evolving challenges.

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Prosecutions

We are pursuing four prosecutions for offences relating to three issues under the Health & Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. Two of the three cases relate to conventional, industrial-type incidents. The third relates to an incident that caused radiological contamination to a site employee.

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Inspectors
Whitehall

Update on post-Brexit UK safeguards regime

We’re on target to deliver the UK’s new domestic safeguards regime at the end of March 2019, when we leave Euratom, the European Atomic Energy Community.

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Regulating proposed new nuclear power stations – keeping you informed

We know you’re interested in our regulation of proposed new nuclear power stations, so we’ve teamed up with the Environment Agency and Natural Resources Wales to produce a regular bulletin with the latest updates.

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UK ABWR - courtest of EDF
Hunterston B (Copyright EDF Energy)

Hunterston B outages

Reactor 3 at Hunterston B remains offline, after being shut down since a routine inspection into cracks in its graphite core, in March.

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Risk reduction at Sellafield

One of Sellafield’s key high hazard reduction projects, the demolition of the 61 metre ventilation stack on top of the First Generation Reprocessing Plant, has successfully achieved major risk reduction.

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Sellafield aerial 2014 200x200

Working internationally

FORATOM conference

Inspiring international peers

‘What all regulators ought to be like’, was one delegate’s verdict on ONR at the FORATOM-IAEA conference in Canada this summer.

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Belarus stress testing leadership

As a world-leading regulator, we’re often called upon to use our experience to influence nuclear safety globally. After Fukushima events in 2011, the European Council requested that the safety of nuclear power plants in the event of extreme conditions such as earthquakes and floods be reassessed.

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Belarus stress test group
Mina Golshan 2 200-200

International recognition of Dr Mina Golshan

This month, Dr Mina Golshan, Deputy Chief Inspector and Director of our Sellafield, Decommissioning, Fuel and Waste Division, chairs her first IAEA and WASSC meeting.

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Building capacity and capability

Building our workforce for the future

Having the right capability in Suitably Qualified and Experienced Persons (SQEPs) is crucial for us to be an effective regulator as the industry grows. But we aren’t just waiting for good people to come to us – we’re helping to develop a new generation.

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Strategic Theme 3
YGN event 2018

Nuclear associates showcase ONR

In October, ONR nuclear associates – staff on route to become nuclear inspectors – gave delegates from the Nuclear Institute’s Young Generation Network a taste of the regulatory world. In a two-day event at ONR’s offices, delegates heard from the Environment Agency, the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority and ONR technical specialists, and took part in a table-top emergency response exercise.

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Promoting inclusion

With its 40/30 target – expecting companies to achieve a 40% female workforce by 2030 – the Nuclear Sector Deal leaves no doubt that gender diversity is a keystone of the nuclear agenda, and ONR intends to lead by example, in creating a more inclusive organisation.  

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People

Engaging with stakeholders

Understanding perceptions

In October we ran a follow-up to last year’s stakeholder survey about ONR and our work. This ‘pulse’ survey focuses on the areas in which you felt we could do better, such as how consistent and proportionate we are in applying regulation.

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Strategic Theme 2

Working with NGOs

It’s essential to engage face to face with stakeholders on nuclear safety and security issues, so we can really understand each other, and be held accountable on behalf of the public.

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Webinars for stakeholders

We want to be more accessible so we’re running webinars. The events have proved popular, with attendees welcoming the opportunity to participate without having to travel.

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