The Nuclear Decommissioning Authority

NDA Sites Monthly Performance Update

General Evaluation - Key Elements

• Programme Performance was in line with expectations at the end of December 2009.  
• Electricity generation for Year to Date 2009/10 was above target.

Year to Date Cost and Schedule Performance
At the end of December 2009, the programme delivered work for less than planned cost.  Measured against the year to date budget the programme of work at the end of December was delivered in line with expectations.

Earned Value Performance Management.
Please note: We use Earned Value Performance Management to measure programme performance.  This compares the budgeted cost of work that was scheduled with the budgeted cost of work that was actually performed to determine schedule performance and the budgeted cost of work actually performed with its actual cost to determine cost performance.

Electricity generation at the fleet of Magnox nuclear reactors operated by the NDA was above target for Year to Date 2009/10.

Items of Interest

Programme Items of Interest - Key Elements

• Dungeness A remove one of the largest items of plant from site.  
• Sellafield take a step forward in decommissioning the Primary Separation Plant.

At Dungeness A more than 50 staff were involved in the project to remove a transformer, weighing in at just under 200 tonnes.  It has been successfully sold to a recycling company in Barnsley for use as scrap metal and parts.  Dungeness A has released more than 1,200 tonnes of waste since the start of decommissioning.

At Sellafield the Primary Separation Plant was used to reprocess early reactor fuel before being converted to a head end treatment plant where fuel was sheared. The plant contains four highly active cells, each containing redundant radioactive material.  Work to remove the material of the least radioactive cell of the four – the Highly Active South Outer, began in 2006 as part of a pilot programme for future decommissioning activities on the Sellafield site.  The material held within the cells ranges from radioactive vessels, through to contaminated pipe work that had been used as part of the reprocessing process as well as contaminated wooden scaffolding boards dating back to the 1970s.  Retrieval of the inventory on the top section of the cell has been a success given the radiological challenges the team faced. The team has also made cost savings and efficiencies through effective sentencing of the retrieved material.   A large proportion of the metal retrieved has now been treated through the site's wheelabrator - a facility used to mechanically remove the outer surface of contaminated steel to clean metal for recycling.

Safety and Environment Performance

Safety and Environment - Key Elements

• No INES events  
• Four RIDDOR events  
• No environmental non compliances

Nuclear Safety

No events rated at Level 1 or above on the International Nuclear Event Scale (INES) have been reported as occurring at NDA sites during the month.

Radiological Protection

The sites provide data on average individual dose, maximum individual dose and collective dose. These metrics are measured separately for SLC employees and for contractors. Dose figures are reported by calendar year rather than financial year and the following two graphs show average individual doses and maximum individual doses respectively (ordered by employee dose) for dosimeters worn by workers in calendar year 2008 and processed to date. Average individual doses and maximum individual doses should be compared with (and are all well below) the legal annual limit of 20 mSv.

Dosimetry is the measurement of absorbed dose in matter and tissue resulting from the exposure to ionizing radiations.

Industrial Health and Safety

Four events reportable under RIDDOR occurred in the month:

• At Risley a RIDDOR Major Incident was recorded due to a broken shoulder from a fall in the car park.
• At Sellafield a RIDDOR Dangerous Occurrence was recorded due to the failure of lifting shackle during a lift.
• At Harwell a RIDDOR Lost Time Accident (LTA) was recorded when an employee lost the tip of their thumb during a lifting operation.
• At Springfields a RIDDOR Major Incident was recorded due to a broken ankle from a slip on an icy curb.

RIDDOR stands for the reporting of injuries diseases and dangerous occurrences regulations 1995.  RIDDOR '95 requires the reporting of work-related accidents, diseases and dangerous occurrences. It applies to all work activities, but not to all incidents.

Environmental Protection

No environmental non-compliances have been reported in this month.

An Environmental Non Compliance is a breach of a permit condition set by the Environment Agency or the Scottish Environmental Protection Agency that prevents or controls risk of pollution to the environment.

Please note:
We give the actual number of occurrences in each category. Not all sites employ the same number of people and/or undertake the same activities. This must be taken into account before comparisons between sites can be made.