ONR has agreed to extend an Improvement Notice issued to EDF Energy Nuclear Generation Ltd (NGL) in March 2015, until 30 November 2015.
The Improvement Notice was served following an incident at Heysham 1 power station on 16 March 2015. The incident led to the release of around 30 tonnes of clean CO2 from a failed pipe in the Carbon Dioxide storage and distribution plant on site. It is the dutyholder’s responsibility to make and implement adequate arrangements for the regular and systematic examination, inspection, maintenance and testing of its facilities. Following a preliminary investigation immediately after the event, ONR inspectors judged that NGL had failed to meet this condition of its nuclear site licence, therefore compromising the safety of its employees.
ONR has conducted a review of the progress undertaken at the site and recognises that sufficient improvements have been made to allow the plant to return to service. However, the records of the extensive work undertaken are not yet completed. ONR has agreed to NGL’s request for an extension of two months to complete this work and will continue to monitor progress.