Executive summary
Date(s) of inspection: May 2024
Aim of inspection
This inspection aimed to confirm that the appropriate Control and Instrumentation (C&I) related statutory outage activities that are necessary to support safety case claims have been / will be undertaken. The inspection involved a review of a sample of Torness (TOR) Reactor 1 (R1) 2024 statutory outage (S13R1) activities carried out in relation to C&I equipment and systems important to nuclear safety and considered compliance of the associated arrangements in relation to Licence Condition (LC) 28 – examination, inspection, maintenance and testing (EIMT). The findings of this inspection contribute to ONR’s regulatory decision to grant Consent to the return of R1 to normal operating service in accordance with LC 30 – periodic shutdown.
Subject(s) of inspection
- LC28 - Examination, inspection, maintenance and testing - Rating: Green
Key findings, inspector's opinions and reasons for judgement made
During the inspection we sampled examination, inspection, maintenance and testing (EIMT) related activities on C&I equipment and systems important to nuclear safety, based on the schedule of activities contained within the Torness (TOR) Reactor 1 (R1) S13R1 outage intentions document (OID).
During the inspection we held discussions with several C&I equipment and system stakeholders and found that they had a good understanding of the systems and equipment they were responsible for and that they appreciated the importance of the statutory outage work being undertaken.
We found the activities we sampled had either been satisfactorily completed or were on schedule to be completed. We were confident, based on the information provided, that EIMT activities which had not been performed at the time of the inspection would be completed satisfactorily.
We conducted a plant walkdown during the inspection and found the operating conditions and lighting levels afforded a comfortable working environment for maintainers. We did not identify any significant signs of age-related degradation with respect to the items of C&I equipment we examined.
During the inspection we held discussions with several C&I equipment and system stakeholders and found that they had a good understanding of the systems and equipment they were responsible for and that they appreciated the importance of the statutory outage work being undertaken.
We found the activities we sampled had either been satisfactorily completed or were on schedule to be completed. We were confident, based on the information provided, that EIMT activities which had not been performed at the time of the inspection would be completed satisfactorily.
We conducted a plant walkdown during the inspection and found the operating conditions and lighting levels afforded a comfortable working environment for maintainers. We did not identify any significant signs of age-related degradation with respect to the items of C&I equipment we examined.
Conclusion
Based on our sample inspection of the C&I aspects of the TOR R1 2024 statutory outage (S13R1) we have assigned an intervention rating of Green to LC 28 (EIMT) compliance.
We did not identify any significant issues in relation to the C&I equipment and systems during this inspection that could prevent ONR from issuing a Consent to allow TOR R1 to return to service. Based on our sampled inspection of the C&I aspects of the TOR R1 2024 statutory outage (S13R1), we recommend that support be given for a Consent to allow R1 to return to service. This is subject to the completion of the planned EIMT activities and the completion of any emergent work.
We did not identify any significant issues in relation to the C&I equipment and systems during this inspection that could prevent ONR from issuing a Consent to allow TOR R1 to return to service. Based on our sampled inspection of the C&I aspects of the TOR R1 2024 statutory outage (S13R1), we recommend that support be given for a Consent to allow R1 to return to service. This is subject to the completion of the planned EIMT activities and the completion of any emergent work.