Performance Updates
Find out more about NDA Sites' Performance, visit our Programme Performance Updates section.
NDA Sites Monthly Performance Update
General Evaluation - Key Elements
- The programme delivers work marginally below budget costs.
- Measured against the available baseline the overall NDA programme is behind schedule.
- A number of sites are still working on producing released funding compliant plans.
- Year to date electricity generation remains above target.
- The first efficiency performance reviews based on Quarter 1 information have been set.
A number of sites continue to focus on producing funding compliant baselines. At June not all sites have plans that match released funding.
For financial year 2007/8 with the exception of Sellafield plans are not over pressured. Work is ongoing to assess the funding requirements for Sellafield.
Under Portfolio Management the first efficiency performance reviews have been set to review Quarter 1 2007/8 information. Cashable efficiency savings will be released to Portfolio Management and non-cashable efficiency savings will be retained for acceleration.
Financial year 2007/8 efficiency targets have been set and the monitoring programme has started.
Year to Date Cost and Schedule Performance
At the end of June 2007, the programme delivered work marginally below expected cost. Measured against the year to date budget the programme of work at June is behind schedule. Schedule performance will increase once released funding aligned baselines are implemented.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.
Year to date Electricity generation at the fleet of Magnox nuclear reactors operated by the NDA was above target at the end of June 2007. Electricity generation for the month was marginally below target.
Items of Interest
Key Elements
- Co-operative working between Capenhurst and Trawsfynydd leads to equipment being re-used and cost savings.
- At LLWR work continued during the period to despatch Plutonium Contaminated Material (PCM) to Sellafield.
- At LLWR the planning application for Vault 9 was submitted to Cumbria County Council on 29 June.
- No further regulatory action is planned regarding the cooling water loss at Sizewell A on 7 January 2007.
- Hinkley Point A turbine hall deplanting completed.
- Dungeness A move into Defuelling & Decommissioning site status.
- Active commissioning of fuel routes completed at Dungeness A.
- Optimisation trials for the Magnox Dissolution (MXD) Plant are concluded at Dungeness A.
- Drilling and grouting on the Shaft Isolation Project is ahead of schedule.
- Pile 2 isotope removal has been successfully completed at Windscale.
- Work continues on the Calder Hall Cooling Towers Demolition Project.
- Improvements required on the pond facility at Hunterston A.
- Emergency repairs required to cladding at Dungeness A.
- Preparations for the restart of THORP continued during the period.
At Capenhurst, Rados Installed Personnel Monitors (IPM) have been removed from B805. The high value monitors are being moved to the Trawsfynydd site. Although the monitors saw little active service at Capenhurst they will greatly assist in radiological control at Trawsfynydd. This example of co-operative work between sites has led to a valuable piece of equipment being re-used with cost savings of around £100k.
On 14 June Sizewell A gave a detailed presentation to the regulator. The outcome of the presentation is that the regulator confirmed that no further regulatory action is planned with regard to the cooling pond water loss that happened on 7 January 2007.
At Hinkley Point A the turbine hall deplanting and size reduction of the removed material was completed in the period. A snagging list for this project is well. A small crew remains to complete turnover to the Operations Department.
A successful transition to Phase 2 of the post operational period was made during the period, placing Dungeness A in a Defuelling & Decommissioning Site status. With the Phase 2 transition the new Operating Rules, the new Maintenance Schedule and also a new Quality Management System (QMS) were implemented. The QMS includes arrangements (MCP99) that are suited to a site with two shutdown and depressurised reactors that is undertaking defuelling and decommissioning. This new procedure now includes provision for decommissioning and also provision of new plant and facilities. Training for key staff has been completed and the process implemented.
The Active Commissioning of Reactor 1 (R1) and Reactor 2 (R2) Fuel Route at Dungeness A were successfully completed with the delivery of the formal defuelling verification record. This completes the Fuel Route Active Commissioning programme on both R1 and R2. The site has achieved these well ahead of the delivery dates set. The site is now in a position to commence bulk de-fuelling.
At Dungeness A optimisation trials for Magnox Dissolution (MXD) Plant operations concluded this period, including a 30-day run of 24-hour-per-day operations. Dissolution productivity was excellent. This gives the site confidence that its contractual works will be possible to achieve.
Drilling and grouting for the Shaft Isolation Project at Dounreay is ahead of schedule. Series 2 primary grout boreholes are approximately 50% complete. Adjustments need to be made to the new electrical supply as voltage exceeds capacity of the equipment. A change control is in preparation to accelerate work form next year into the current year.
At Windscale Pile 2 isotope removal has been completed successfully ahead of schedule and under cost. This achievement is an important step in a demanding programme of work to decommission the two Windscale Pile reactors. Following approval from the regulators, the 42 isotope cartridges have been successfully and safely removed from the Pile 2 reactor. This involved a creative approach to designing and deploying a remote retrieval and handling system which was developed by James Fisher Rumic, a West Cumbrian Company. This work marks a key move forward for decommissioning on the Windscale site.
At Sellafield on Evaporator D an initial HAZOP has been completed to look at a steelwork gantry system for the import of a large module into the evaporator 'D' cell adjacent to an existing facility. This initial review has shown that the proposed technique has a high level of confidence in being successful and so supports the principle of large scale modularisation.
On the Calder Hall Cooling Towers Demolition Project method statements have been prepared in line with revised proposals for the test blast. Associated implementation documents have been updated and are due to be presented to the Calder Hall Management Safety Committee (MSC). Desktop exercises have been undertaken and witnessed by the regulators. These demonstrate the project Command and Control arrangements. Positive meetings have been held during the period with the regulators to agree the way forward.
Following a recent tour of the Hunterston A pond facility it is apparent that the regulators are seeking improvements. A meeting took place with the regulators during the period and the regulators acknowledged that improvements had been made it was agreed that progress on the improvements required would be monitored. The improvements required could still lead to potentially significant cost increases emerging, not only at Hunterston A but also at other sites.
During recent high winds sections of cladding became dislodged from various buildings at Dungeness A which presented a safety hazard. Further sections of cladding were seen to lift in moderate winds. Emergency repairs were carried out together with a comprehensive survey of all cladding across site. The survey has highlighted degradation of the cladding support structures which is worse than initially anticipated. New scope is being requested to replace the cladding associated with these buildings.
At Sellafield, on THORP, inspections have been completed and arrangements are in place to use the dissolver feed chute to support shearing using Dissolvers 'A' and 'C'. Final readiness checks for shearing are coming to a close, PCAD and monitoring sheets have been issued, proof test packages have been prepared and final modifications to Thermwell 'C' operations are almost completed. Four containers of fuel have been vent flushed and unlocked, available for final monitoring and feeding.
On the Dounreay Cementation Plant (DCP) facility a revised programme being prepared, and reviewed ready for presentation to Senior Management and the NDA. During the month progress has been made on all the main recovery activities.
Safety and Environment Performance
Safety and Environment - Key Elements
- No INES level 1 or higher events reported.
- There were 5 RIDDOR reportable events during the period.
- There was one environmental non compliance in the period.
Dosimetry is the measurement of absorbed dose in matter and tissue resulting from the exposure to ionizing radiations.
Nuclear Safety
No events rated at Level 1 or higher on the International Nuclear Event Scale (INES) have been reported at NDA sites during the period.
Hunterston A and Trawsfynydd successfully demonstrated the adequacy of their emergency arrangements to the regulator during muster and exercises.
Dosimetry
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. Note that the dose is measured by a dosimeter which has to be processed before the dose can be added to the record. Therefore dose figures always lag behind the current date. Dose figures are reported by calendar year rather than financial year and the graphs below present the latest figures for dosimeters worn by workers in calendar year 2007 to date. Individual average and maximum doses should be compared with the legal annual limit of 20 mSv.
Industrial Health and Safety
Five RIDDOR events were reported in the period:
- At Sellafield, an operative dislodged an A4 laminated sheet of paper whilst dusting a shelf above eye level. The corner of the sheet struck the operative in the eye, grazing the eyeball. The eye was washed at surgery, cream was administered and a patch applied. The operative has since been unavailable for work for work for >3 days and the event has therefore been reported as a RIDDOR Lost Time Accident.
- At Oldbury on 30 May 2007, generator transformer two bushing failed. This has been reported as a RIDDOR Dangerous Occurrence.
- At Wylfa, a sub-contractor sustained a broken bone in his ankle whilst moving a delivery of steel pipes.
- Hinkley Point A reported that an individual stepped off a curb and twisted his ankle, breaking a small bone in the ankle. This event has been reported as a RIDDOR Lost Time Accident and Major Injury.
- At Springfields, an air-line became detached from a respirator whilst in use. This is classed as a Dangerous Occurrence.
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
One environmental non-compliance has been reported in this period.
- At Oldbury, as a result of the generator transformer fault, a small amount of oil was lost to a road drain and subsequently reached the river.
An Enforcement Notice has been received by Berkeley from the Environment Agency as a result of the Active Effluent Treatment Plant overflow event in March 2007, for failure to maintain in good order systems and equipment provided for the disposal of radioactive wastes.
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.
Safety and Environmental Achievements
Dungeness A has achieved official certification to the Occupational Health and Safety Assessment Series (OHSAS) 8001 (Safety Management). This follows on from their previous achievement of ISO 9001 (Quality) and ISO 14001 (Environment) and their International Safety Rating System (ISRS7) rating of Level 9.
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.