The Nuclear Decommissioning Authority

NDA Sites Monthly Performance Update

General Evaluation - Key Elements

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

Year to Date Cost and Schedule Performance
At the end of November 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 November was 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

Key Elements

• At Dounreay the decommissioning team in D1203 are celebrating the successful conclusion of a five year project to repack over 200 drums of miscellaneous and intermediate wastes.  
• A key milestone in the first return of solid highly active waste (HAW) from the Sellafield site to overseas customers has been achieved.

At Dounreay the decommissioning team in D1203 are celebrating the end of a five year project, repacking over two-hundred drums containing waste produced during the site's reprocessing days. The 200-litre drums held packages of various materials contaminated by uranium. The packages had not been accurately characterised or assayed, and were a mixture of low level waste and contact handle-able intermediate level waste.  To ensure that they were safe to store long-term, the team had to unpack each drum in a specially constructed glove box, and check and record the contents of each package, before loading them into new drums.

A key milestone in the first return of solid highly active waste (HAW) from the Sellafield site to overseas customers has been achieved with the loading of canisters into a flask, and the transport of the flask from the Residue Export Facility (REF) to the Flask Marshalling Area on the Sellafield site.  This completes the on-site preparations for the first return of canisters of HAW and hands over the operations to the transport phase of the programme.

Safety and Environment Performance

Safety and Environment - Key Elements

• No INES events  
• Four  RIDDOR events  
• One environmental non compliance

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 Springfields a welder burnt his fingers resulting in a RIDDOR Lost Time Accident.  
• At Harwell a RIDDOR Lost Time Accident was recorded due to a back injury.  
• At Berkeley a RIDDOR Lost Time Accident was recorded due to a back injury.  
• At Risley a RIDDOR Major Injury was recorded due to a fractured ankle being sustained in the car park.

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 this month:  

At Sellafield a breach of a non radiological discharge limit for THORP cooling Towers occurred.  

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.