The Nuclear Decommissioning Authority

NDA Sites Monthly Performance Update

General Evaluation - Key Elements

• The programme delivers work below budgeted costs.
• Programme schedule performance is broadly inline with expectations.
• Electricity generation for August is below target and Year to Date is above target.

For financial year 2008/9 site plans are over pressured. This means that the NDA set budgets for sites that contained more scope of work than there was available funding to complete. Setting over pressured budgets is a tactic to build the sites cost efficiency target into their baseline scope. It is important to note that sites can only carry out the total value of work in their budget by making the necessary savings to fund the over pressured work.

Year to Date Cost and Schedule Performance
At the end of August 2008, the programme delivered work for less than planned cost. Measured against the year to date budget the programme of work at the end of August is broadly in line with expectations.

Electricity generation at the fleet of Magnox nuclear reactors operated by the NDA is below target for the month of August 2008 and above target for the Year to Date.

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.

Items of Interest

Key Elements

• Fuel element removal is underway at Chapelcross.
• Hunterson A received a Letter of Compliance (LoC) for disposal of IONSIV units.

At Chapelcross a significant milestone in the site’s life cycle was passed with the first fuel element being removed from Reactor 1 on Monday 18 August. The first active commissioning hold point was also successfully cleared with a further 12 fuel elements being removed.

During the month Hunterston A received the stage 2 Letter of Compliance (LoC) for the disposal of IONSIV units (Intermediate Level Waste (ILW)) from the Mobile Active Effluent Treatment Plant). This is an achievement not just for Hunterston A but also for Magnox and will significantly reduce risk for this waste stream.

Safety and Environment Performance

Safety and Environment - Key Elements

• 1 INES event.
• 1 RIDDOR reportable event.
• 1 environmental non compliance

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

Nuclear Safety

One International Nuclear Event Scale (INES) event has been reported from NDA sites during the period.

• At Wylfa, a graphite specimen was discharged rather than the expected fuel element as a result of the mechanical failure of part of a charge chute during routine on-load refuelling. Refuelling operations were immediately stopped and offsite advice sought. The site had unknowingly been outside the safety case during the actual discharge of the graphite sample. Further on-load refuelling has been suspended until further investigation into the event.

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 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

One event reportable under RIDDOR occurred in the period.

• At Chapelcross, during routine work to tighten a scaffold clamp, a contractor scaffolder's hand slipped off the spanner and struck the ground resulting in a fracture to the fifth metacarpal of his right hand. This has been classified as a RIDDOR Major Injury.

Note: 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 was reported in this period:

• At Windscale, a B12 black sampler was not functioning for three days.

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.