NuclearCONNECT
BABCOCK THREE LEADING INDUSTRY PLAYERS – ONE KEY PARTNER
NuclearCONNECT CONNECTING THE NUCLEAR INDUSTRY
WWW.NUCLEARCONNECT.CO.UK
Issue 4 January 2011
BNS Nuclear Services, UKAEA and VT – three key industry players united to provide effective solutions which span the nuclear life-cycle. CONNECTING THE NUCLEAR INDUSTRY
We are committed to understanding our customers’ business drivers, building strong partnerships and delivering complex and critical nuclear projects safely, on-time and in budget. BABCOCK – THE UK’S LEADING NUCLEAR ENGINEERING COMPANY.
Contact Liz Pulford, Head of Communications – Nuclear, Tel: +44 (0) 116 201 5346 or email liz.pulford@babcock.co.uk
www.babcock.co.uk/nuclear | Airports | Communications | Defence | Education | Emergency Services | Energy | International | Nuclear | Property | Rail | Security | Training |
ISSUE 4 JANUARY 2011 £9.50
Introduction
Issue 04 1st January - 31st March 2011 MANAGING DIRECTOR Dan Connew T: 01937 580400 RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT MANAGER Finn Langley T: 01937 580423 E: finn.langley@theconnectseries.co.uk
Well here we are again, the beginning of a fresh new year, a year which is sure to be filled with many exciting developments in the nuclear industry. I hope you have had a good festive break and managed to see the New Year in with good cheer.
STUDIO MANAGER Andy Bickerdike T: 01937 580407 E: andy.bickerdike@theconnectseries.co.uk
We are now in production of our fifth edition of NuclearCONNECT magazine, a publication both on-line (www.nuclearconnect.co.uk/magazine) and in printed format. We set out to become the communication tool for the whole of the nuclear industry and it is evident by your continued support that we are becoming more recognised within the industry. Please keep your nuclear articles coming through to editor@theconnectseries.co.uk and we will endeavour to include as many articles as we can.
PRODUCTION MANAGER Tracey Bramall T: 01937 580406 SALES MANAGER Julie Wilkinson T: 01937 580402 E: julie.wilkinson@theconnectseries.co.uk
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Group Information Services Ltd, 2 Highcliffe Court, Greenfold Lane,
If you subscribe to the NuclearCONNECT magazine you will have found in this edition a complimentary 2011 NuclearCONNECT year planner. The year planner contains key dates for nuclear events held up and down the country throughout 2011 with available space to add in your own important deadlines. NuclearCONNECT is all about connecting the buyers and suppliers within the nuclear industry and now you can find us on Twitter (@nuclearCONNECT), LinkedIn and Facebook (search: NuclearCONNECT). We’ll see you there.
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Andy Bickerdike Editor
The design and layout of this directory remains the property of Group Information Services Ltd, it must not be reproduced or transmitted to a third party without prior written consent. Š April 2010. All of the articles in this publication have been supplied to the publisher by external sources. The publisher can not accept responsibility for the accuracy of the content, or for any errors, omissions or mis-statements, nor can the publisher accept responsibility for the copy supplied by the advertisers. The publisher shall not be liable for any direct or indirect or consequential loss or damage suffered by any person as a result of relying on any statement in or omission from these articles. Opinions expressed in these articles are not the opinions of the publishers.
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NuclearCONNECT
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Introduction
3. Uranium is the fuel used in nuclear fission to create heat for the turbines. Uranium deposits are found in rocks around the world. The two largest producers of uranium are Canada and Australia.
Prize Draw
4. The earth has a limited supply of fossil fuels such as coal and oil. Nuclear power stations could still be producing electricity when coal and oil are no longer readily available.
Nuclear Facts 1. Nuclear energy is created from energy released by splitting large atomic nuclei or by combining the nuclei of small atoms together. 2. Nuclear reactors produce electricity by heating water to make steam. The steam is then used to drive turbines which in turn creates electricity. Nuclear power plants are identical to other thermal power stations, where the heat from burning coal or gas is used to produce stream.
5. Nuclear power stations need less fuel than power plants which burn fossil fuels. One ton of uranium produces more energy than is produced by several million tons of coal or oil. 6. The sun uses nuclear fusion of hydrogen atoms into helium atoms. This gives off heat and light and other radiation. 7. Used fuel from a nuclear reactor is first stored to allow most of the radioactivity to decay. It can then either be reprocessed to recover the reusable portion, or it may be disposed of directly as waste.
The winner of NuclearCONNECT ‘best training‘ prize draw went to Kate Ashby from Babcock.
Industry News 7
Her Majesty experiences virtual reality
7
Innovative waste reduction programme announced
9
DavyMarkham achieve landmark certification for their safety management systems
9
Nuclear project utilises pioneer point
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5
THE CONNECT TEAM
2
Andy Bickerdike Studio Manager
Liz Boyle Financial Controller
Jo Brotheridge Data Executive
Tracey Bramall Production Manager
Phil Coe Graphic Designer
Dan Connew Managing Director
The weather has taken its toll, the flip flops are away for the winter.
Polished professional who is a perfectionist with the pennies and pounds
Our Data Guru!
A Yorkshire lass without the whippet or flat cap
Strict vegetarian always have been, always will be
We're all nice to him.... he pays the wages after all
NuclearCONNECT
Introduction
Industry News 11 Trials, training and simulation at Sellafield
Feature 5
What are the prospects for new entrants to the in nuclear industry?
12 Nuclear decommissioning escapes axe as comprehensive public spending cuts are announced 15 Two reactors in the running for UK new nuclear build programme
Feature
Directory
25 RADSAFE - Transport emergency arrangements for the nuclear industry
35 Category Listings
26 Radioactive waste, its disposal and the long term solution
35 Consulting
Gareth Davies discusses the safe
Search for companies you need by their category of services.
49 Engineering, Plant & Equipment
and long term storage solutions for
69 Industry Bodies
radioactice waste
71 Infrastructure
Diary of Events 20 Diary of events Essential events to attend in the forthcoming months.
17 Women in the nuclear industry
Training
Why are women so under-represented
77 Nuclear Sites 79 Office Management 83 Personnel Services & Training 87 Alphabetical Supplier Listings Search for companies you need by their name.
in the nuclear industry
22 Public engagement underway in West Cumbria Cumbria investigates into the
30 Education for a nuclear workforce
For all the latest vacancies
construction of a UK geological repository for radioactive waste
Visit the NuclearCONNECT
Health & Safety
24 Radioactive waste packaging Why designs need to adapt in line with the waste management hierarchy
15
Website
28 How to be an overachiever
32 Influencing behaviour to reduce workplace accidents
17
Website now at
www.nuclearconnect.co.uk
30
Sue Connew Company Secretary
Julia Dingwall Account Manager
Finn Langley R & D Manager
Suzanne Mclean Media Sales
James Parnham Media Sales
Julie Wilkinson Sales Manager
Always busy, busy, busy.
Queen of the cupcake expanding out waistlines since 2005
Smoother than a quantum stabilised atom mirror
Our queen of multi-tasking who can fit 30 hours work into 24. And keep smiling
The car has arrived. He’s only ‘curbed it’ once so far!
Charming and patient. She has to be as James' manager!
NuclearCONNECT
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Feature
WHAT ARE THE
PROSPECTS FOR NEW ENTRANTS TO THE NUCLEAR INDUSTRY? Sue Hearn, West Cumbria Consulting Ltd, Paul Campbell, Costain, Joanne Leng, NOF Energy and Georgy Rafferty, NOF Energy pictured at an NOF Energy nuclear networking lunch. Photo courtesy of NOF Energy
he nuclear industry is proving to be relatively recession proof. While government tightens the public purse strings across many areas of expenditure, nuclear decommissioning has largely been spared the Treasury axe and on the horizon, multibillion pound private investment in nuclear new build looks to be moving ahead.
T
NuclearCONNECT talked to representatives of Small & Medium sized Enterprises (SMEs), existing and prospective Tier 3 and 4 members of the supply chain about their experience and perceptions of opportunities within the industry. “Would-be new entrants have an impression for that there are easy pickings in the industry”, said one, “But the number of opportunities is hyped.” Another said “Contracts are being awarded, but a lot of them are framework agreements and there is no certainty about the work that these might actually yield or the timescales”. There was a consensus that bidding can be expensive and time consuming with no guarantee of any returns.
Using specialist supply chain advisors and consultants Companies who bid need to be realistic in their assessment of their ability to deliver in this highly regulated arena.
Supply chain consultants to the energy industry West Cumbria Consulting Ltd work with companies to position themselves within the market. form strategic partnerships and write successful bids. Director Sue Hearn is a keen observer of nuclear supply chain developments. She told NuclearConnect, “Increasing rationalisation of the supply chain and use of bundled framework contracts and Government frameworks is making it more and more difficult for smaller, specialist businesses to identify who they need to build relationships with and where to look for tenders. We are being approached by many companies who want to work in the nuclear industry but have not yet been successful in getting established.”
Let's look at what each of these involves Identify strengths and weaknesses: ■
Think about credibility to deliver a particular type of work
■
Consider what additional capacity would mean to your business
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Think about your pricing structure, overheads, what your competitors charge
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Consider what accreditations or security clearances might be required
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Be objective, if necessary seek help from an external advisor
Be realistic about what is available: ■
Research the market thoroughly, make use of contacts and networks to increase knowledge
■
Join networking organisations, e.g. NOF Energy, Nuclear Industry Association, West Cumbria Business Cluster, Energy Industries Council
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Attend industry events organised by organisations such as the Nuclear Institute, NOF Energy and the National Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre,
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Study procurement plans to identify emerging opportunities
■
Subscribe to newsfeeds for industry, e.g. Nuclear Market, World Nuclear News
A five point strategy to improve your chances of winning work West Cumbria Consulting Ltd uses a five step strategy with its clients who want to win nuclear work. 1.Identify strengths and weaknesses 2.Be realistic about what is available 3.Identify unique selling points for this market 4.Raise profile in the industry, with clients and build relationships 5.Be selective about opportunities
NuclearCONNECT
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Feature Identify unique selling points for this market ■
■
Make sure you understand your clients' needs and business drivers Ensure that you take an objective view of how you meet these and how to articulate your offer
■
Sell the benefits of your product or service
■
Make sure you understand your cost base so you can adjust your pricing to remain competitive
■
Understand your position within the market and keep an eye on what competitors are doing
Raise profile in the industry, with clients and build relationships: ■
Build strategic partnerships with other companies and organisations
■
Use networks and memberships of organisations to increase awareness of your products or services
■
Raise your profile by being a speaker and or sponsor at events and conferences
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Make use of social networking sites and ensure own website is accurate and relevant
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Build relationships for the long term
As a minimum, companies should have Quality, Environmental and Safety Management Systems compliant with ISO Family of Management Systems, i.e. ISO 9001, ISO 14001, BS OHSAS18001 or equivalent Suppliers must be open to audit by Tier 2, Regulator or Independent Third Party Inspection Authority (ITPIA) and have arrangements for approving and vetting their own supply chain. Systems should be in place providing for full traceability of material The industry trade association, the NIA has set up an Expert Group to produce guidance on these issues to help SMEs access the opportunities provided by new build. The Group produces guidance and will update
this to reflect market developments, such as developers' agreements with regulators on the codes and standards to be used. New nuclear build looks set to see billions of pounds of investment in the UK. The utilities developing this will be looking to build up local supply chains where competence and capacity exists. Hence there will be opportunities for companies to build relationships and win contracts. However, competition will be keen, and the supply chain is global. In the field of nuclear decommissioning the NDA and Tier 1 companies are keen to find innovative ways of tackling problems and are looking to the supply chain to come up with new approaches that will get results.
The Nuclear Industry Association published “The essential guide to nuclear supply chain” in November 2010 It is available online at http://www.nuclearsupplychain.com/images/stories/pdfs/sc_quality_19.11.10.pdf
■
Develop a bid/no bid decision matrix to help you decide whether to proceed
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Make sure you are objective about your capability and capacity to deliver each project
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Consider whether you should act as a subcontractor to gain experience, deliver on your own or as lead partner in a consortium
■
Consider value of the contract, risk factors and commercial model
■
Ensure that you have the appropriate accreditations, insurances and resources to deliver
■
Make use of expertise to develop bid, facilitate partnering etc
Standards and accreditations Tier 2 companies expect from their Tier 3 and 4 contractors Lots of companies are looking for information on accreditation requirements for working in the nuclear new build market. The industry has exacting quality standards for work within the nuclear island, but around 80% of a new nuclear power station falls outside this. Provision of equipment and work on site is going to be available and companies with good quality, safety and environmental management systems should be in line to compete. 6
NuclearCONNECT
Sue Hearn, West Cumbria Consulting Ltd
Be selective about opportunities:
Industry News
Her Majesty experiences virtual reality HER MAJESTY The Queen and His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh experienced Virtual Reality (VR) for the first time in November. Instead of actually digging the first sod for the new Nuclear Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (Nuclear AMRC), as is traditional for an official launch, The Queen activated a virtual digger to do the work remotely. Then the Nuclear AMRC appeared to be built in 3D thanks to Virtalis advanced visualisation techniques. Her Majesty enjoyed the immersive experience during a visit to the University of Sheffield AMRC with Boeing. The new Nuclear AMRC is a collaboration between the University of Sheffield and the University of Manchester, with the backing of the Government and leading companies involved in building the new generation of civil nuclear power stations. Based on the same collaborative model as the AMRC, the Nuclear AMRC will help UK companies become global leaders in the production of components and systems for the new generation of nuclear power stations. VR will be a key technology at the Nuclear AMRC and Virtalis has been chosen to be the technological partner for this sphere and is designing and supplying the new centre's VR facilities. Her Majesty donned a set of virtual reality glasses within the AMRC's MANTRA (Manufacturing Transporter) for the VR experience. MANTRA is a customised lorry and trailer designed to give aspiring young engineers a hands-on experience with state-of-the-art manufacturing technologies, including a Virtalis ActiveMove VR system used for product design, simulation and training. Virtalis technical director, Andrew Connell, together with the Virtalis development team
and AMRC's Dr. Rab Scott, created the VR environment that enabled Her Majesty to deploy the virtual digger and see the finished Nuclear AMRC. Andrew attended the official launch along with Virtalis MD, David Cockburn-Price. Professor Keith Ridgway OBE, founder and research director of the AMRC and programme director of the Nuclear AMRC, said: "The Nuclear AMRC will take technological excellence into new markets, and help British companies supply the new generation of power stations worldwide."
Innovative waste reduction programme announced Magnox South has agreed a contract with Costain to deliver treatment of fuel element debris (FED) at its Bradwell site, generating significant savings for the decommissioning programme. The contract has been awarded as part of a multi-site framework agreement, potentially worth up to £80 million over ten years. The process, which involves dissolving the material, drastically reduces the amount of intermediate level waste and the associated long-term storage costs, while being assessed by regulators as having negligible environmental impact.
updating the use of existing technology across the programme, reducing liabilities and increasing savings for the taxpayer.” Dissolution is currently successfully undertaken at Dungeness A site, where the processing of more than 120 tonnes of waste is expected to be completed next year, generating lifetime savings of £50 million. FED was originally expected to remain on site until it could be moved to the Geological Disposal Facility (GDF) when it becomes available.
More than 155 tonnes of metal components, known as FED, are stored at the site. The waste was removed from spent fuel elements, allowing the remaining casing to be tightly packed into flasks for transportation to Sellafield. Construction of a plant to dissolve the waste is expected to begin next year. The designs and systems will be transferable, with similar treatment planned at Hinkley Point A, Sizewell A and Oldbury sites. Steve Walters, Magnox Programme Director, said: “I'm delighted that we are able to work with Costain to progress our clean-up programme, safely reducing FED volumes by more than 90 percent and potentially reducing the nuclear liability estimate across the Magnox sites by around £100 million.” Sara Johnston, the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority's Head of Programme, said: “This is an excellent example of broadening and
NuclearCONNECT
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Design, supply and support services for high integrity operations
Multi-disciplinary engineering design and supply.
Radiation Protection Instrumentation and Non-destructive Testing
Responsive nuclear engineering and support services
Remote handling systems, services and products
For more information please go to:
www.jfnuclear.co.uk
Industry News
DavyMarkham achieve landmark certification for their safety management systems DavyMarkham, a flag ship Sheffield heavy engineering firm, works on some of the most prestigious engineering projects around the world. The company announced their recent achievement of a voluntary management standard (BS EN ISO18001) that is internationally recognised as a mark of excellence and best practice in health and safety management.
Dr John Trainor, founder and Managing Director of consultants E9 Limited explained “Safety management is recognised for the primary benefits in the protection of heath and prevention of accidents and injury, however, the adoption of the right culture, one that accepts safety and an engineered-in part of the process, can also lever very significant commercial benefits, if correctly implemented.”
DavyMarkham's management team selected certification to BS EN ISO18001 as a project to focus on, in order to drive continuous performance improvements into its management systems throughout the business and to cement a change of culture. The project was driven by a desire to ensure that the commercial success of the firm was matched or exceeded by attention to standards of risk reduction. The whole of the 200+ strong work force was involved in an important review leading to a systematic process of change, improvement and realignment. The company wanted to place safety at the heart of day-to-day operations. Kevin Parkin, Managing Director, said “the safety of staff on site and at installations is my number one priority and we have been able to back up this commitment with the achievement of an international standard. Our certification marks a reinforcement that will deliver a more robust system of protection for the employees and company alike.”
Nuclear Project utilises Pioneer Point A £400 million clean-up project on Europe’s largest nuclear site in Cumbria has created around 175 new highly skilled jobs at the Interserve Pioneer Point facility in Cheshire. Interserve Industrial who were awarded a contract with process engineering contractor Costain Oil & Gas Process Ltd, principal contractor for the Evaporator D project at the Sellafield nuclear site in September last year, have now taken over space in a large indoor facility located at the 230,000 sq ft Pioneer Point facility, opposite Interserve’s existing facility on the Poole Hall Road Industrial Estate to carry out the module assembly and testing work. Ellesmere Port and Neston MP Andrew Miller said: "British engineering is alive and well here in Ellesmere Port and I am sure the skilled workforce for which we
are well known will make an important contribution to the future of Sellafield and the nuclear industry." Evaporator D, a new Highly Active (HA) Liquid Evaporator is the largest nuclear project in Europe and will provide additional capacity to support the site’s existing evaporators, which play a pivotal role in the delivery of reprocessing, historic clean up and hazard reduction across the Sellafield site. The modules contain the heart of the Evaporator D project process, the largest of which will weigh in at an impressive 500 tonnes. Modules consist of structural steel, stainless steel pipe work vessels and equipment and will be fabricated at the dedicated Interserve facility at Poole Hall Road. Each module will be built on support stools to allow clearance from the ground in order for the self propelled module transporter units to lift the module when it has been completed. In all, 11 modules will then be packed prior to being transported to Ellesmere Port for shipment to the Sellafield Site. Interserve Operation Director, Mr James Lord said: “Interserve is proud to be involved with this nuclear asset, new build project for Sellafield Ltd. Interserve has a strong nuclear background and is providing the construction services for these complex nuclear grade modules. This is the first time a nuclear plant of this size has been modularised in the UK and Interserve is leveraging its 30 year nuclear experience and self delivered services to give a comprehensive solution”.
NuclearCONNECT
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NuclearCONNECT
Industry News
TRIALS, TRAINING AND SIMULATION AT SELLAFIELD he nuclear industry demands innovative, cheaper, quicker and more effective techniques and systems for operations and decommissioning. At the same time, the expectation is for a tried and tested solution deployed by skilled and experienced personnel, particularly for operations in high-hazard areas. To bridge this gap, new techniques need to be thoroughly trialled, tested and fine-tuned before they are deployed. Operator training and rehearsals should be carried out in a realistic simulation of the real operational environment with personnel dressed in the appropriate PPE. Trials, training and simulation services are therefore vital to the nuclear industry and contribute significantly to reducing the risks inherent in deploying new technology. James Fisher Nuclear Services are investing heavily in building their capability in these areas.
commented “Major investment of this kind
T
is essential to maintain the skills and services on offer in West Cumbria to the nuclear sector.” He continued “It is particularly encouraging to see a Cumbrian based company continue to grow and invest in the local economy”. Tim Harris, Executive Chairman of James Fisher & Sons plc reinforced this message saying the Group was committed to future development in Cumbria and in the nuclear industry. The invited guests were then able to tour the facilities and view demonstrations of equipment and the services offered to customers by James Fisher Nuclear Services and the wider James Fisher Group. James Fisher Nuclear Services now has four trials, testing and simulation facilities near the Sellafield site. The largest, an impressive 21 m high, covering nearly 1,000 sqm, with
Phil Gerrard, General Manager of James Fisher Nuclear Services explains “We provide engineering and support services across a broad range of mechanical and electrical disciplines. We have extensive experience of delivering products and services for the nuclear sector often for deployment in hazardous or remote locations. The core of our business model is to provide engineering solutions. To do this we offer concept design, testing, trialling and then demonstrating that the solution is fit for purpose.”
600 sqm of supporting office space has just
Part of the Company's unique offering is that they are able to co-locate their engineers and client teams within their trials facilities, demonstrably reducing cost and risk at the front end of engineering projects.
of nearly £2.25m, the High Bay Facility was
been constructed and incorporates a 20 tonnes overhead travelling crane, with a 15.7m working height and a floor reinforced to accept loads of 60kN/m2. The Company works with each client to design temporary works to support rigs and to overcome any building constraints so that a wide range of rigs can be constructed within the halls. The latest rig hall, called the High Bay Facility, is located on the Bridge End Industrial Estate at Egremont just 4 miles from Sellafield. Representing an investment officially opened in September by Dr Ian Hudson, Sellafield Programme Director for the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority. Dr Hudson, in his opening remarks,
Equipment on display at the event included tooling, cutting techniques, material handling equipment, enclosures, manipulators and remotely operated vehicles for safe operations in a hazardous environment. Operations with submersible and land-based ROVs were demonstrated, including a crawler for the measurement and mapping of corrosion in tanks and other steel structures. Demonstrations included examples of the extensive 3D CAD capability of the Company, rigs for operator training and a demonstration of a LASER scanning rig for the measurement of the deformation of waste storage containers. Also on display was installed and portable radiation protection instrumentation including the class-leading RTM 860 body contamination monitor. Strainstall, a subsidiary of James Fisher Nuclear Ltd, demonstrated strain gauges and a total station for monitoring the effects of environmental stress on buildings and other large structures and; James Fisher Mimic displayed their plant condition monitoring system and software.
Above: James Cruickshank, James Fisher Nuclear Services talking to Tris Kaye from the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority about the use of long reach tooling in a nuclear environment Left: Dr Ian Hudson, Sellafield Programme Director, Nuclear Decommissioning Authority in conversation with Tim Harris, Executive Chairman of James Fisher & Sons plc at the official opening of the High Bay Facility
NuclearCONNECT
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Feature
Nuclear
Decommissioning
ESCAPES as comprehensive public spending cuts are announced usiness and individuals alike
(while the operating lives of both Wylfa and
NDA negotiations with new
were apprehensive as the
Oldbury stations have been extended, both
government lead to prioritisation of
Chancellor of the Exchequer
are due to cease generation by the end of
high hazard decommissioning
announced the results of
2012), it guarantees only a flat expenditure
B
In discussions leading up to the CSR
government's Comprehensive Spending
profile for decommissioning.
Review (CSR) on 23rd October 2010.
Clean up of high hazard legacy nuclear
Authority initially asked Treasury for £11.7bn
Departments had been asked to prepare
facilities largely escaped the hatchet, as the
to spend over the next four years, but
scenarios for cuts of up to 40% in budgets
coalition government recognises that failure
subsequently revised this down to the
in the spending round which would fix
to deal with nuclear hazards and waste
£8.62bn which has been awarded.
departments' spending for the four years to
could compromise public support for
April 2015.
nuclear new build.
Unlike Health, Education and International
(DECC), was not ring-fenced, and nuclear
DECC's Draft Structural Reform
decommissioning - which consumes 40% of
Plan four strategic priorities published
DECC's budget - could have been subject
July 2010
government that cleaning up the nuclear
awarded an allocation of £8.62 over the next
3. Drive ambitious action on climate change at home and abroad
the £6.4bn awarded for the last four years, but as the NDA's income from magnox stations' electricity generation is diminishing,
Over £6bn will be spend at Sellafield in West which NDA's CEO Tony Fountain described as, “The most intolerable facilities I have The new UK coalition government took office in May 2010. Fountain told delegates to UK Waste Management 2010, held in Cumbria in November 2010, that new ministers visited Sellafield within two weeks
four years, a 30% increase in its income from the public purse. This is 30% up from
targets for generating commercial income.
seen anywhere, anytime.”
2. Deliver secure energy on the way to a low carbon energy future
legacy could not be put on the back burner. The outcome of the CSR was that NDA was
efficiency targets, and setting ambitious
Cumbria which houses nuclear high hazards
1. Save energy with the Green Deal and support vulnerable consumers
election and the CSR, the nuclear industry had worked hard to convince the new
the size of the NDA by around 30%, years; targeting sites to deliver tough
Department of Energy and Climate Change
However, in the months between the May
The revised spending plans include reducing deferring some non-critical activity into future
Development, expenditure by the
to substantial cuts.
allocation, the Nuclear Decommissioning
4. Manage our energy legacy responsibly and cost-effectively (including nuclear)
of appointment, and have continued to take an active interest in decommissioning progress. Following intensive lobbying by industry, Fountain believes the government is now very aware of the hazards and risks
12
NuclearCONNECT
Feature
AXE Government is keen to see new UK nuclear build to help meet its looming energy gap by providing a secure supply of low carbon electricity, but it says that private investment must meet the cost of the programme. However, it has pledged to clear the way for developers by removing potential barriers to investment, and establishing a regime for disposal of nuclear waste. Clean up of legacy sites and establishing a mechanism for dealing with higher activity radioactive waste can be seen in this context.
How NDA restructure can deliver efficiencies
posed by the UK nuclear legacy, notably
Energy Minister Charles Hendry told the
at Sellafield and Dounreay, and wants them
autumn meeting of the Nuclear Development
addressed, not least to build public
Forum - the 'club' where senior members of
Tony Fountain, who became NDA's new CEO in October 2009 after 25 years working in oil and gas with BP, has been instrumental in restructuring the NDA. Ninety jobs have been shed as, five years after it was set up, the organisation plans to focus on the core mission of clean up and contract management. Money will be targeted at the front line while the NDA steps back from site management to become more strategic in its operations.
confidence in new nuclear build.
the industry mingle with government
NDA's two new strap lines summarise this:
Vincent de Rivaz, CEO of EDF UK which
ministers and administrators each quarter -
“Delivery through others” and, “Trust with
leads the race to build new UK nuclear
that government commitment to nuclear
consequences”. For the Site Licence
generation, includes the Sellafield high
clean up is part of the 'social contract' and
Companies (SLCs) this means that the
hazards on his 'risk register' for new build.
is also a key enabler for new build.
amount they can spend without seeking
NDA Sites
NuclearCONNECT
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Feature authorisation from the NDA increases from £3m to £15m, which should cut a layer of authorisations and overheads. When it was established in 2005, NDA become the owner of 20 nuclear sites
NDA's PBOs: ■
(now URS)/Studsvik, Arvea NC and
owned and managed by BNFL and UKAEA.
Serco Assurance became the PBO at
In the years since then, BNFL and UKAEA
LLWR (Low Level Waste Repository)
have vanished from the scene and NDA
in 2007/8.
has designed the Parent Body Organisation/Site Licence Company
■
A consortium of URS/Areva NC and Amec won the £22bn Sellafield
mechanism to bring innovation and
PBO competition in 2008.
efficiency into the management of its sites. Each site is managed and operated by an
A consortium of Washington Group
■
EnergySolutions became the PBO
enduring Site Licence Company which holds
of Magnox sites via acquisition when
the relevant statutory authorisations,
it bought the M&O contract from
employs the workforce and issues and
BNFL for around £80m in 2007.
manages all sub-contracts. While the NDA awards each SLC a Management and Operations (M&O) contract which addresses
Tony Fountain told delegates to UK
the mission and deliverables for the site, the
Waste Management 2010 that he wants to
SLC is owned by a Parent Body
leverage more reach back from the Parent
Organisation (PBO).
Body Organisations (PBOs) into the SLCs.
Decommissioning expertise brought in from US
14
The M&O contract for magnox sites (held by EnergySolutions) and for Research Restoration Sites (decommissioning sites at Winfrith and Harwell currently managed by Babcock International), will be the two remaining bundles which could be subject to a competitive process to find a new PBO.
“We want the PBO to be more proactive in
NDA's divestments:
the SLC, to bring in parent company
■
Springfields, the NDA's fuel manufacture plant was taken over by Westinghouse Electric Company in April 2010 on a 150 year lease
■
NDA and Urenco Ltd agreed to support a potential transfer of the NDA site at Capenhurst site to Urenco by 2012.
expertise,” he said. Adrian Simper NDA's
Bringing experience in decommissioning
Strategy Director amplified this, comparing
from across the pond, American companies
the PBO fee to what it would cost to buy-in
dominate the new PBOs. French nuclear
the parent company expertise. “The PBO
giant Areva is a partner in the two west
model we have is capable of delivering”,
Cumbria consortia, bringing expertise
he said adding, “We haven't yet extracted
across the whole fuel cycle.
full value from the model.”
NuclearCONNECT
The competition to find a PBO for the Dounreay site (Dounreay Site Restoration Company Ltd), is underway and should be completed early 2012.Two bidders are seeking to become PBO of the Dounreay site on the north coast of Scotland,: a consortium of Babcock International, CH2MHill and URS; and a team called Caithness Solutions comprising Energy Solutions and Amec. The contract is worth around £2bn and is projected to run until 2032, seeing the site through to interim end state.
Feature
Two reactors in the running for UK new nuclear build programme here are two contenders for new nuclear build in the UK, the Areva 1650MW EPR and the Westinghouse 1200MW AP1000. Both are Generation III pressurised water reactors.
between 2011 and 2012. Step 4 gives
challenge the successful completion
the regulators the opportunity to
of GDA. The EPR had an RI in the area
scrutinise the evidence put forward by
of Control & Instrumentation, because
the reactor design companies in support
the regulators identified significant
of their safety cases and examine their
concerns about the complexity of the
security plans. “It will provide a high-
architecture and on the very high
The two reactors are currently the only designs undergoing assessment for the UK Generic Design Approval (GDA). The GDA process is intended to pre-approve the reactor designs ahead of site specific planning applications by utilities. The UK joint regulators - the Nuclear Inspectorate and the Office of Civil Nuclear Security of the Health & Safety Executive and the Environment Agency - are working together on GDA, a new process set up in 2007 to improve clarity and certainty in the regulatory process for new nuclear power stations. The GDA process is a key enabler in government's strategy to see new nuclear power built and generating by 2018. An unprecedented amount of information about the designs and the regulatory process can be viewed and commented upon online.
level indication of whether the proposed
reliabilities that the reactor vendors
nuclear power station design is likely to
and the utility were claiming.
meet the UK's regulatory requirements.”
In November 2010, the regulators closed
Step 3, which was completed late in 2009
the Regulatory Issue (RI), downgrading
was an overall safety and security review
the status to a Regulatory Observation
and analysis of the proposed reactor
(RO) within the GDA process
T
designs.
EDF Energy Chief Executive Vincent de
Regulators publish 'Traffic light
Rivaz welcomed the news saying,
metrics' to flag up areas of concern
“This decision by the UK safety
The regulators use a system of GDA
authority is very good news for the
Metrics used to measure the progress
EPR. The control and instrumentation
being made on the GDA Programme.
issue was, and is one of the most
Specialist inspectors collate information
sensitive in terms of nuclear safety
into a 'metrics trending dashboard'.
and was vital to resolve.”
This illustrates the progress made, and
He added, “This decision by the
highlights areas of concern, using a
safety authority, combined with their
traffic-light colour coding system of
assertion that there are no showstoppers
green, amber and red.
for the EPR, is a key milestone among
When significant technical questions
EDF's efforts to deliver secure,
Both Areva and Westinghouse are confident
are more serious even than the red light,
decarbonised, affordable energy
that they are on track to receive Generic
they are formalised as Regulatory Issues
to the timetable the UK needs.
Design Approval for their reactors. The
(RI). The regulators will impose an RI
The regulators said that EDF and
detailed assessment work of Stage 4 of
where they judge that a particular feature
AREVA “….still need to commit a high
the GDA, which started in November
of the design might not meet international
level of their attention and resource to
2009 is expected to run until June 2011,
standards of good practice and thus,
successfully meet the UK EPR
with specific site licensing taking place
if not satisfactorily addressed, may
Programme”. NuclearCONNECT
15
Feature The civil engineering of the AP1000 is currently subject to an RI relating to the proposed new steel-concrete-steel construction design for the shield building. The regulators have requested appropriate evidence to demonstrate that the strength and durability of the structures have been adequately justified. The US Nuclear Regulatory Commission has raised a similar issue and the two regulators are working closely to ensure maximum leverage and harmonisation of outcomes.
an HSE Interim Design Acceptance Confirmation (DAC) or Environment Agency Interim Statement of Design Acceptability and identify the unresolved GDA Issues. A Resolution Plan would be required for the unresolved Issues. A third alternative is that no Design Acceptance Confirmation (DAC) or Statement of Design Acceptability will be issued. As this seems an unlikely outcome, no one is discussing what the reactor designers would do in this event!
Nuclear reactor designs show What happens in June 2012 when step 4 of the GDA is completed? There could be three different outcomes when Step 4 is completed. If the regulators are fully content with safety, security and environmental aspects of the safety case for the generic design, then they will issue a Health & Safety Executive (HSE) Design Acceptance Confirmation (DAC) and Environment Agency Statement of Design Acceptability. That would mark the end of the Generic Design Assessment of the safety case for that design, which would then be suitable for construction, subject to site-specific approvals.. If the regulators are largely content with the generic design, then they will provide
steady increase in capacity Since nuclear power was put to work generating electricity, nuclear reactors have steadily increased in size. In the UK the first generation magnox reactors increased from 50 MW units at Calder Hall and Chapelcross built in the 1950s through to the two 490MW units built at Wylfa which commenced generation in 1971 and were the last magnox reactors to be built anywhere. The UK's successor to the magnox reactors was another unique design the advanced gas reactor (AGR) which was built only in this country. Eight stations were built, connecting to the grid between 1976 and 1988. The design of the AGRs evolved in each successive
Sizewell B
construction, and each pair of reactors was designed to generate between 1110 and 1250 MW. Two of them are now operate at around 70% of capacity for technical reasons. The last reactor built in UK was the PWR at Sizewell B which was constructed between 1988-1995. The net electrical output is 1188 MW. The station currently supplies 3% of the UK's entire electricity needs The next reactor to be built in the UK looks likely to be a 1650WM EPR at Hinkley Point C planned by EDF. The French utility bought British Energy's sites and reactors in 2008/9 and plans to build twin EPRs in Somerset and Suffolk. It has lodged preapplications for planning permission for 3260 MW output at Hinkley Point, Somerset, (anticipated date of planning application December 2010) and 3260 MW output at Sizewell Suffolk, (anticipated date of planning application June 2011). If all goes according to plan, the first station at Hinkley Point could be operating by 2018.
Small Modular Reactors attracting interest on land and at sea Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) under 300 MW - are currently generating interest among the nuclear community. They offer potential for much lower initial capital investment, swifter build times and are suitable for locations which do not have the large grid infrastructure necessary to accommodate big reactors. Modern small reactors for power generation have simpler designs, potential economies from mass production, and reduced construction and location costs. They are designed with a high level of passive safety and do not require some of the more elaborate provisions necessary for large reactors. However, at this stage no SMRs have been put forward for design acceptance, so it is too early to tell if they will catch on and lead to a reversal of the trend towards bigger units. Small reactors are used to power nuclear submarines and could also have other practical maritime applications potentially offering commercially viable forms of low carbon propulsion for large container ships and tankers. Russia is planning a small fleet of floating SMRs which can be towed to the destination point in coastal waters near a city, a town or an industrial enterprise. Each vessel has two modified naval reactors providing up to 70 MW of electricity or 300 MW of heat. Seven of the vessels are due to be built by 2015.
16
NuclearCONNECT
Feature
WOMEN in the
NUCLEAR INDUSTRY
I
t's a century since the eminent
When they want to undertake major
woman scientist Marie Curie helped
projects like decommissioning parts
discover radioactivity, winning two
of the site or building new facilities,
Nobel prizes for her work. The work
my job is liaising between the site and
of this remarkable woman changed our
our deep technical specialists to make
understanding of energy and matter and
sure that the licensee can make the
heralded a new era in medical research
changes they need to make in a safe
and treatment. But 100 years on from
and secure manner.”
Marie Curie, why are women are so
Why become a regulator?
under- represented in the UK nuclear Cathy clearly remembers the moment
industry?
when she decided that she wanted to NuclearCONNECT talked to two women
join the NII. She was doing a masters
who are making their mark in the nuclear industry: one established as a nuclear regulator, the other as an up and coming nuclear operator, to find out more about their career choices, their jobs and their views on why so few women are attracted to the industry.
Working as a regulator The Nuclear Installations Inspectorate (NII), of the Health & Safety Executive currently has 23 women working as nuclear regulators. Cathy Collins is a regulator in the NII Naval Nuclear Propulsion Regulation team. As one of three site inspectors for Devonport Royal Dockyard Ltd, she looks after the submarine refit complex which repairs & maintains the UK hunter killer submarine fleet.
Cathy Colins. Image coutesy Health & Safety Executive
degree in Reactor Technology & Nuclear Safety Management, when a guest
The regulator plays a key role. Developments cannot take place on a nuclear site without the approval of the regulators. Cathy says, “There is a popular misconception that regulators are there to say no to everything, but we are not there to fetter business. We are there to make sure the job is done in a safe and secure way, so we might say, “Yes, but… and ask for amendments”.
lecturer from the NII came to talk to the
She says of her job: “The main bits of the job are interfacing with the licensee, trying to secure safety improvements, making sure that they are compliant with our requirements and; facilitating discussions with them when they want to make changes and modifications.
of first hand experience of the industry.
students about a day in the life of a site inspector.“I thought what an interesting job. I'd like to do that,” she recalls. What attracted her was the variety and breadth of the work and the opportunity to influence development. Regulation is not a role for new graduates: regulators must have plenty Cathy has worked for the MoD submarine programme where she was a project manger on simulator projects for submarine reactors. She had also been a lecturer in Physics and Nuclear Safety Management. NuclearCONNECT
17
Feature
Inside Heysham Turbine Hall
She has been with the NII for over two years now and the job has lived up to her expectations. “It's so interesting. One day you're talking about crane designs, the next day about radioactive waste, the next about shift patterns and workforce stress, the next day its reactor physics. I never get bored.” She enjoys the balance and contrast between the technical and the people aspects of the job,
horseshoe arrangement of controls monitor and display what is happening at the two Heysham 2 reactors. Alex spends her shift at a reactor desk in the control room, monitoring information and supervising actions that arise.
generation team leader and the fuel team
Her working day starts with a handover from the previous shift. Then a rolling meeting gives feedback information and a chance to liaise with control room staff, the
Engineer will phone or call them to discuss
leader who are in charge of the operating technicians. Alex works on a five week shift pattern, and the work varies according to the shift. On a morning shift the day staff work on maintenance and the Operations the work. On a night shift, there are less people on the plant and control staff test essential plant,
Nuclear regulators need to have a good eye for detail in the context of overall strategy; know what to follow up on and when to get the deep technical specialists involved. Cathy describes this as being, “proportionate and focussed”. Regulators are powerful figures in the hierarchy of a nuclear site. Cathy is acutely aware of the authority that she holds and strives for a friendly but professional relationship. “An important skill is to put people at their ease, but still maintain professional relationship,” she says. Regulators give advice and guidance mode as well as making formal decisions. “We have to be clear about our roles, clear about our expectation and communicate this as far in advance as possible.”
Driving a nuclear reactor control desk Alex Wilcox is an Operations Engineer at the Heysham 2 advanced gas reactor power station. She works as a unit desk engineer in charge of a nuclear reactor and associated plant. The hub of the nuclear power station is the control room where a 18
NuclearCONNECT
Heysham 2
Feature such as running of pumps according to the maintenance schedule to make sure everything is working properly. Alex is positive about shift work, “Each day it is different. At shift handover you take the situation as you find it and do your best with it while you are there - to progress things and monitor them. I enjoy the fact that it's working on what is happening at the time: it happens in real time. You find out what has happened since you were last in; you do your best and do as much as you can and then go away. When you come back, you don't know what the challenges are going to be. I like working shifts. It gives a good sense of camaraderie as you regularly work with the same people. It suits me to sometimes have weekends off, and sometimes have time off during the week.” After university, Alex joined the (then) British Energy graduate scheme and spent two years working across a range of jobs and sites. A highlight of this was working at Sizewell B during an outage on the UK's sole pressurised water reactor (PWR).” That was really fascinating - accessing all the areas of the PWR during the outage which is the only time you can really get to see it.”
Sizewell B simulator controls
She chose to specialise as an Operations Engineer and trained at Heysham, becoming a Duly Authorised Person (DAP), in May 2009 which qualifies her be in control of either of the two Heysham 2 reactors. Alex says, “This is the job I really wanted. For the future there is a route through operations which takes a lot of years to get the required experience. The next step would be to get some C&I (control and instrumentation experience) and safety rules experience to become a Plant & Control Instrumentation Engineer, and from there the next role up would be Control Room Supervisor and then the lofty heights of Shift Charge Engineer. You have to be very experienced to reach the top. Shift Charge Engineer is for most of the time the highest ranking person on the power station, so it's a key role”
Under representation of women starts in CGCSE/A level subject selection Cathy and Alex took degrees in Physics and both say that right from school days they were in a substantial minority in their courses and then in their work. Alex says, “Out of an intake of 24, there were three women on the company graduate scheme. That's probably representative of physics and engineering courses.”
Heysham B Aerial
interested in science and good at physics, and liked it, so nuclear power seemed to be a possibility. I remember seeing guys at Risley doing calculations on fuel elements which I found really interesting - finding an application of what you have learned at school is really positive.” Cathy says, “My dad was a factory chemist and I used to go into work with him when I was a kid and see people in the laboratories. I decided when I was 13 that I wanted to do science. For people who don't have that background I can see that it
Alex did work experience at BNFL's offices
might be intimidating.” Cathy followed the
Risley aged 15 while at school and then
scientist's traditional route taking A Levels in
returned while a student. “I've always been
Maths, Physics and Chemistry along with
only one or two other girls in each subject. On her physics degree there were five out of thirty. The under representation of women is not confined to nuclear: it is the same across engineering and the physical sciences. Cathy believes that the Women into Science & Engineering campaigns that professional institutions aim at schoolgirls, can be effective as well as the campaign run by Prospect Union to get women into science & engineering. So, readers, when the opportunity arises, why not take your daughters into work to encourage them to consider a career in science or engineering. NuclearCONNECT
19
Diary of Events
DIARY OF EVENTS
2011
20
NuclearCONNECT
Diary of Events
January
March
Managing the Legacy waste from the Sellafield Magnox 11 January ◆
Energy - A Balanced Future 2 March ▲
Swarf Storage Silo Birchwood Centre, Risley Organisers: The Nuclear Institute, North-West Branch Tel: 01565 684902 E-mail: ian.currie@nuclearinstnw.com
NI Cumbria 7th Annual Dinner 20 January ◆ Washington Central Hotel Workington, Cumbria CA14 3AY Organisers: NI E-mail: dinner@nicumbria.org
Hilton Hotel, Newcastle Organisers: NOF Energy Tel: 0191 384 6464 E-mail: business@nofenergy.co.uk Website: http://www.nogenergy.co.uk
Progress in nuclear Fusion 8 March ◆ University of Manchester Organisers: The Nuclear Institute, North-West Branch Tel: 01565 684902 E-mail: ian.currie@nuclearinstnw.com
Nuclear New Build 26 - 27 January ■
UK Nuclear Skills Awards 2011 10 March ◆
Sofitel St James Hotel, London Organisers: C5 Tel: 020 7878 6886 Website: http://www.c5-online.com/
Palace Hotel Manchester Organisers: NSAN Tel: 01925 607045 E-mail: m.kinsella@nuclear.nsacademy.co.uk
February The YGN Debate: New Build 8 February ■ The Visitors Centre, Sellafield, Cumbria Organisers: The Nuclear Institute, North-West Branch Tel: 01565 684902 E-mail: ian.currie@nuclearinstnw.com
2nd International Conference on Plasma Fusion - Nuclear Physics Conference 20-22 February ◆ University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK Organisers: WSEAS Email: info@wseas.org Website: www.wseas.us
EEEGR Energy Innovation Awards 2011 23 February ▲ Holiday Inn, Norwich International Airport, NR6 6JA Organisers: EEEGR Tel: 01493 446535 E-mail: st@eeegr.com Website: www.eeegr.com
European Nuclear Forum 2011 22 - 23 March ◆ Paris, France Organisers: Marketforce Business Media Ltd Tel: 020 7760 8699 Email: conferences@marketforce.eu.com
■ New Build ● Decommissioning ▲ Energy Production ◆ General
Science & Technology Social Environmental Training Informative
NuclearCONNECT
21
Feature
Public engagement underway in
A I R B C M U T S E W
C
ommunity discusses pros
whether they should participate in the
to make a formal 'Decision to Participate'.
and cons of hosting national
geological disposal facility siting process,
This would not be a binding commitment
geological repository
without commitment to eventually host a
as the right of withdrawal would exist
facility'. It is funded by government, and
through the next stages of geological
can call on a range of organisations for
investigations until the start of construction.
Something unique is happening in West Cumbria. An unparalleled exercise in community involvement is taking place
West Cumbria seeks public
to help the local community decide
Government calls for community
involvement in discussing
whether to proceed in a process which
to volunteer in exchange for
radioactive waste management
could lead to construction of a UK
community benefits
The West Cumbria MRWS Partnership
Nothing quite like this has ever been done
has been holding meetings every six
in the UK. The government has thrown its
weeks since it formed. In autumn 2010 it
weight behind a principle of 'volunteerism':
cranked up a gear to maximise publicity
asking potential host communities to
and try and engage with the community
The Partnership is made up of two district
accommodate a significant piece of
and gauge public and stakeholder views.
councils, (Allerdale and Copeland) the
national infrastructure in exchange for a
County wide exhibition have been
Cumbria County Council, as well as
'community benefits package'. To date
organised, local media involved, and
a range of local community organisations.
only West Cumbria has stepped up and
individuals and organisations asked to
The Partnership was formed in response
'expressed an interest' to in the process.
run small discussion groups abd feed
to the publication of the 2008 government
Much as government would like other
back comments. A video (commentary
white paper on managing radioactive
volunteers, no other communities have
by Cumbrian broadcaster Eric Robson),
waste which called for communities
come forward and so West Cumbria is
was distributed with discussion packs
to offer to host the facility.
currently going it alone exploring the
and information was posted online.
West Cumbria is currently the only
options. At this stage, no specific sites
The campaign didn't go viral, as social
volunteer and the Partnership has
have been proposed. However, in October
networking was not used!
recently embarked on a campaign to raise
2010 the British Geological survey
The West Cumbria Partnership is asking
residents' awareness of and knowledge
published the results of preliminary studies
for responses by February 2011 and will
about the issues around disposal of higher
which screened out some areas of West
publish a summary report later in the year.
activity radioactive waste. The Partnership
Cumbria as having unsuitable geology for
It plans to make recommendations to the
is an advisory body aiming to make
a repository. The next step in the process
three councils about the decision to
recommendations to the councils 'on
is for the council(s) to decide if they wish
participate during 2011-2012.
geological repository for radioactive waste. The West Cumbria Managing Radioactive Waste Safely Partnership (West Cumbria MRWS Partnership) is instigating this.
22
support and advice.
NuclearCONNECT
Feature
The 'draft indicators' that the Partnership is looking for are: 1. Net support from the West Cumbrian public 2. Broad Support from key organisations such as local councils, community interest groups etc 3. Evidence that concerns raised have been or will be addressed
Stage 1
Invitation issued and expression of interest from councils
2008
Stage 2
Initial geological screening West Cumbria:
October 2010
Stage 3
Public engagement leading to decision to participate
2011? - 2012?
Stage 4
Desk based studies in participating areas
Stage 5
More detailed geological investigations on remaining candidates (Boreholes, seismic surveys)
3-4 years?
10 years?
Final right of withdrawal Stage 6
Underground construction and operation
2040 onwards?
NDA UK geological disposal facility concept
4. Evidence that reasons for opposing or supporting the recommendations have been identified, understood and taken into account “The local authorities would not want to make any decision until they are sure what public opinion is and that the public are well informed and understand the issues.” Tim Knowles, Councillor Cumbria County Council & Copeland Borough Council “If it were to be built here, the facility would be here for thousands of years. It would affect many generations into the future. It is imperative that we get it right.” Mike Davidson, Councillor Allerdale Borough Council
Repository
Swedish model of community
The facility is a deep geological repository to dispose of the UK's existing (and future) nuclear wastes which will be radioactive for up to 100,000 years into the future. Much, though not all, of the current wastes are stored at Sellafield, pending a decision on how and where they are to be kept. Development of a geological repository in the area has history: in 1997 a planning application for an underground rock characterisation facility near Sellafield was refused, and the decision upheld by government. However there was no public engagement over the site selection. It came about under the now discredited approach known as 'Decide, Announce, Defend.' The current approach is to be open and transparent and to involve stakeholders and communities in the decision, and to offer incentives or 'community benefits'.
engagement finds a host community
The implementing body for the repository is the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority's Radioactive Waste Management Directive. It's current estimate of the cost for the geological disposal programme for existing and committed wastes and spent fuel is £12 billion. This does not include figures for new build waste, which could be co-located in the repository, but is subject to separate costing and funding arrangements,
for repository The UK approach has drawn upon the model used in Sweden, which is several years further down the line in developing a geological repository for higher activity wastes. Currently Swedish used fuel is stored under water in an underground interim repository for higher activity waste at Oskarshamn. It will eventually be encapsulated in canisters for disposal in a 500 metre deep repository in granite bedrock. Schematic illustration of Swedish final repository SKB, Jan M Rojmar - Grafiska Illustrationer
Äspö rock laboratory, Sweden SKB, Jan M Rojmar - Grafiska Illustrationer
Deep geological repository site selection started in 2002. Two municipalities with nuclear power plants, Oskarshamn and Östhammar, voted to be candidate locations. Geological feasibility studies on eight sites found that both volunteers had potentially suitable bedrock characteristics, and both were selected. Polls in the communities showed support for hosting the future repository at 83% in Oskarshamn and 77% in Östhammar. The implementing body, SKB, chose Östhammar as it had the best geology. Before announcing the decision SKB had signed an agreement with both volunteer municipalities specifying investment of SKR 2 billion (c£150m) in the two, with the majority going to the unsuccessful bidder. Construction is due to start in 2015, and operation in 2023.
NuclearCONNECT
23
Feature
Why radioactive waste package designs need to adapt in line with the Waste
Management Hierarchy LLWR/TC02
he Low Level Waste Repository has been the UK's primary Low Level Waste Repository since 1959 and has been subjected to many strategic changes over its 50 years of operation. For many years low activity waste has been transported to the UK repository in specially designed IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency) Industrial Packages Type 2 ISO Freight Containers as single use disposable packages, for final storage into the engineered concrete vaults.
T
Radioactive waste is defined as material that has no further use and is contaminated by, or incorporates, radioactivity above specific levels defined in UK legislation. Radioactive wastes forms vary from wastes that contain concentrations of radioactivity to general industrial and medical wastes that are only lightly contaminated with radioactivity. Radioactive wastes are produced in the UK as a result of the generation of electricity in nuclear power stations and from the associated production of fuel, from the reprocessing of the nuclear fuel, from legacy military nuclear programmes and from the use of radioactive materials in industry, nuclear medicine and research. In the UK radioactive wastes are classified in terms of the nature and quantity of radioactivity they contain and their heat-generating capacity, as High Level Wastes (HLW) Intermediate Level Wastes (ILW), Low Level Wastes (LLW) or Very Low Level Waste (VLLW). The current focus of the LLW Repository is to prevent disposal capacity being taken up at the LLW Repository by waste types which 24
NuclearCONNECT
lend themselves to alternative treatment and/or disposition routes. Proposed alternatives include offering metallic and combustible waste treatment services and diversion of Very Low Level Waste (VLLW) to alternative disposal facilities. The aim is to ensure that only appropriate wastes, which require an engineered barrier for environmental or personnel protection, are consigned to the vaults at the LLW Repository site. Application of the waste hierarchy in this way ensures that the aims of the UK Government's Policy for the long term management of solid low level waste in the United Kingdom are achieved. The LLW Repository is evolving from operating as a storage and disposal site to a fully integrated waste management organisation, providing a full service across the broad spectrum of waste management activities in support of LLW Repository and consignor initiatives. LLWR in its role as national low activity waste 'integrator' has a key role to develop a suite of new package designs to provide more options and flexibility for waste producers. It is therefore imperative that low activity waste package designs adapt to facilitate this very important modern approach to protecting the environment. The LLWR is in the mature stages of developing a range of new package designs for transporting low activity radioactive waste for treatment and for transporting very low activity wastes to authorised landfill sites. The illustration above demonstrates a innovative packaging solution to satisfy
a range of new treatment routes offered by the LLW Repository Ltd. LLWR.TC02 package design is intended for transporting metal waste for treatment or combustible waste for incineration. The package can be loaded with metal waste or combustible waste contained in inner containers or loaded direct with large metal objects up to 35te, restrained into the outer using. The designs is compatible with existing UK nuclear sites infrastructure and transport fleet assets and takes advantage of specially designed engineered stillages, which eliminate any requirement for human access to the package cavity to operate the contents restraint system or operate the package tie down system, thus deploying a high operational safety criterion. Over the last few years there have been many changes within the UK nuclear industry, which have assisted in the development of this new approach to managing low activity wastes. The quantity of low activity wastes being received at the LLW Repository is significantly reducing. This underpins the success of this new waste treatment approach, ensuring only the treated residues are considered for final disposal at UK Repositories, thus maintaining the nuclear industries commitment to protecting the environment. Marc Flynn, Transport. Packaging & Logistics Manager Low Level Waste Repository Site Ltd & RAMTUC Chairman email: marc.p.flynn@llwrsite.com
Feature
RADSAFE - Transport Emergency Arrangements for the Nuclear Industry Terry Kelly - Babcock International Group
adioactive materials are transported by road, rail and sea to support the nuclear, industrial and medical industries. The legal and regulatory requirements for transporting these materials are agreed internationally by the International Atomic Energy Agency, with inputs provided by member countries. These regulations are translated into European regulations and are then enacted into United Kingdom legislation. The Carriage of Dangerous Goods and use of Transportable Pressure Equipment Regulations 2009 currently state the transport requirements for radioactive material throughout the UK. The regulations require that there are appropriate emergency arrangements in place to cover the eventuality of an incident involving the transport of radioactive material.
R
The UK's record is relatively unblemished. Radioactive materials have been transported around the UK for over fifty years without any significant incident taking place. The nuclear industry had over time developed several transport emergency plans, however a decade or so ago, it was realised that these different plans had become rather cumbersome and a confusing set of arrangements, due in part to the difficulties associated with the understanding of which plan needed to be activated in any given set of circumstances and who had actual responsibility for that plan's implementation. Thus the need for a single transport emergency plan became apparent.
During 1996/97 discussions took place between the industry, emergency services and relevant agencies to establish if there was support for a single transport emergency plan for the nuclear industry. In short the answer was a resounding yes. The arguments in favour of a single plan, (cost, best use of resources and nationwide coverage along with standardisation of response) were very persuasive. Thus in August 1999 RADSAFE became operational. RADSAFE is a 24/7 emergency response scheme for the transport of radioactive materials. It provides direct support to its members which include: British Energy RSRL Magnox (North & South) DSRL LLW(R) Rolls Royce GE Healthcare Energy Solutions Westinghouse Culham Imperial College MOD Sellafield Sites URENCO RADSAFE established a single call centre for any notification of an incident which may involve any of its packages. This includes the carriage of RADSAFE's members' packages by a third party. In addition to providing a single call centre, RADSAFE designs and delivers a free training programme to the emergency services and to RADSAFE responders. A significant amount of documentation has been developed which is available to all members and allows standardised documentation to be used across the membership nationally. Increasing the best practice from this suite of documentation
is also being used and provides a source of inspiration for emergency arrangements regimes internationally. The development of support material is an ongoing process. On average RADSAFE responds to about 1 incident a year, however to date none of these incidents has resulted in the loss of containment leading to the spread of contamination or increase in radiation levels. During the initial years of RADSAFE's operation, the key drivers were to get it known and utilised by the sector, as well as to engage fully with the emergency services. Whilst this was being achieved the focus then turned to ensuring that the responders were sufficiently and appropriately trained. After a legal review in late 2007/early 2008 was undertaken RADSAFE moved from an informal unincorporated association of its members to became a Company Limited by Guarantee - RADSAFE CLG. This formalisation meant that the Board-led structure was established along with a members' technical Working Group forum and members' meeting to provide a robust three tier generate system, with appropriate expertise at each level. Now that RADSAFE CLG's corporate and governance structures are settled, RADSAFE, is looking more carefully at its whole system of operational activities as part of an ongoing programme of initiatives to develop and share best practice with the sector globally, and has been used as a model for similar organisations throughout the world. NuclearCONNECT
25
Feature
Radioactive and the or the UK, delivering a safe, long term storage/disposal solution for radioactive waste is a central and important issue spanning both decommissioning and new build markets. For the legacy wastes the issue is pressing, not least to address public confidence in the next phase of new build. Before embarking on the new build programme robust, tried and tested arrangements need to be in place and a solution engineered to deal conclusively not only with historic material but also the waste that is certain to arise from future planned activities.
F
This article will examine some of the key issues facing the industry in respect of waste management, and touch on responsibility for funding and delivering appropriate solutions. In England and Wales, the key provisions governing the accumulation and disposal of radioactive waste are now to be found in Schedule 23 to the Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) Regulations 2010, which repeal and replace most of the Radioactive Substances Act 1993. For this article defining the different types of radioactive waste, albeit fairly simplistically, will be the starting point. In its various forms, waste arises from past, current and future programmes of fission-derived power generation, military and maritime uses, and from civil uses of radioactive material including the less innocuous activities of universities, research facilities and hospitals. The most commonly used categorisation refers to high, intermediate and low level (and very low level) waste, with each category defined predominantly by reference to the level of the materials' radioactivity and consequently the level of hazard associated with it. Low level waste can consist of everyday materials, such as discarded gloves and protective equipment which have 26
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come into contact with, and hence been contaminated by radioactivity. Whilst activity levels may not be particularly high, they may be sufficient to constitute radioactive waste. Low level waste sits at the lower end of the contamination spectrum, and accounts for the large proportion (by volume) of waste in storage. Storage facilities for low level waste could broadly be described as highly engineered surface landfill sites, requiring no particularly complicated engineering solutions for long term safe management. Intermediate and high level waste on the other hand, sit at the other end of the spectrum, containing significantly more radioactivity and presenting far greater intrinsic risks to health and to the environment. The difference in activity levels between high and intermediate level waste creates an added complication. The former requires cooling (in cooled tanks or canisters stored in ponds, or underground) and shielding. These factors severely limit its mobility and transportability. Of the UK's radioactive waste between 80-90% is low level, emanating predominantly from decommissioning activities, with around 2% high level, and the remainder intermediate level. Future increases in low level waste volumes will continue in line with the legacy reactor fleet decommissioning programme. It should be noted that radioactive waste does not include un-reprocessed spent fuel, which is treated as a potential future resource. During the nuclear industry's period of 'state ownership' in the latter half of the last century, the Nuclear Industry Radioactive Waste Executive ('NIREX') was established to manage both the UK's existing radioactive waste inventory and to promote waste management optioneering for the anticipated increases in waste volumes.
long Safety is fundamental to any storage/disposal strategies and methodologies, as is the requirement for the management of safety over the long periods, sometimes centuries, that the waste may remain radioactive and thus harmful. Equally fundamental is the issue of control of the material, for example depositing waste in reinforced concrete blocks deep in the ocean. The concern this presents, despite the ocean providing an effective buffer, is that the waste is then beyond inspection or being retrieved, and should the concrete encapsulation decay, an unmanaged risk of radioactivity being released into the environment could follow. In addressing the storage issue, international consensus appears to favour the same solution; placing the waste in deep, stable geological strata, sufficiently below ground to reduce the risks of both accidental and groundwater intrusion. NIREX's early plans to pursue an underground storage facility, led to an application in 1994 to build a 'Rock Characterisation Facility' - a proposed twenty year programme to sink a shaft 1000 metres into bedrock underneath Sellafield monitoring movement and groundwater in anticipation of the data gathered supporting a second application for a Deep Waste Repository. The scheme however faced significant opposition, from the anti-nuclear lobby, local communities and councils, despite nuclear development being familiar in the area. This planning refusal started a five year hiatus in identifying a waste management solution. The Committee on Radioactive Waste Management ('CoRWM') followed and during 2004/2005 undertook extensive public consultations and engagement with industry and academia both in the UK and abroad.
Feature
waste, its disposal
term solution Its independent report concluded that deep
Paper 'MRWS - A Framework for
geological containment was the optimum
Implementing Geological Disposal' ('White
solution, coupled with recognition that local
Paper'). It encapsulated the Government's
community support was an important issue
response to the CoRWM report and set out
along with the engineering and safety
several key propositions:
considerations. CoRWM pressed for a high
■
Long term geological disposal for 'higher' activity waste
■
Robust interim storage programme
CoRWM report emerged shortly after the
■
Voluntarism to be encouraged
Energy Act 2004 took effect and the
■
NDA (incorporating NIREX) to deliver a repository
was established.
■
Independent scrutiny by regulators
The Government transferred the bulk of the
■
Pending a permanent facility, reliance on interim stores and transportation links between existing waste locations to rationalise interim storage
level of community engagement and the inclusion of voluntarism as a concept in site identification and selection. The 2006
Nuclear Decommissioning Authority ('NDA')
UK's historic nuclear assets into the NDA along with responsibility for delivering long term waste management solutions, by also
Key to success is local community support. The Government defines voluntarism as communities expressing an interest and willingness to participate at different stages of the planning process. At present three volunteer communities in Cumbria have expressed interest, with a five-stage process now underway: ■
Interest expressed at local level
■
De-selection of unsuitable sites (geological screening by the British Geological Survey has commenced)
■
Desk-based studies at candidate sites - to be commenced
■
Surface-based investigations including intrusive boreholes - to be commenced
■
Preferred site selection
transferring ownership of the then UK Nirex Limited to the NDA. Shortly afterwards the NDA recognising the need for independence from its own waste generating activities (as operator of the still functioning Magnox stations), transferred its
With NIREX's skills incorporated into the NDA, and the NDA having set up within itself the RWMD, the latter will progress the geological repository. The RWMD is expected to operate as a 'prospective Site Licence Company' and regulators such as
Whilst responsibility for the costs for legacy waste management lies squarely with the NDA and the public purse, it is less clear exactly how new build developers will discharge their responsibilities to meet future waste management costs. Although it is broadly accepted those costs would be secured through funded decommissioning plans required by the Energy Act 2008 - a prerequisite for any new nuclear build - the detail is far from settled.
waste management responsibilities to a
the Nuclear Installations Inspectorate ('NII')
stand alone Radioactive Waste
and the Environment Agency ('EA') will look
Management Directorate ('RWMD') within
for clear independence in its decision-
its organisation.
making away from any NDA influence -
Meanwhile the European Commission in
itself an owner and generator of waste.
2003 proposed a Radioactive Waste
With support from the Waste Management
Directive which expressed a clear
Steering Group ('WMSG') and the
preference for deep geological disposal
Geological Disposal Implementation Board
facilities to be constructed by a set date.
('GDIB'), these are perhaps the strongest
As originally drafted, this proposal risked
indicators that a geological disposal facility
inconsistency with EU Directives on
('GDF') is a reality, rather than theoretical.
receive Burges Salmon's free
environmental assessment and public
Linking the GDF and new build, the
nuclear law e-bulletin, or would like
consultation. This proposal was withdrawn,
Government has accepted 'being held to
but has now been replaced by a revised
to suggest nuclear-related subjects
account' on delivering a GDF. This status is
proposal from the European Commission
consistent with the Government's position
published in November 2010.
on waste and new nuclear (i.e. the cost of
Gareth on
The Government's 'Managing Radioactive
waste management from new build will be
Direct line - 0117 307 6920
Waste Safely' ('MRWS') programme is now
borne by the developers themselves) that
the cornerstone of the UK strategy.
significant progress needs to be made
Development of further work on geological
in finding waste management solutions to
disposal as an option led to the White
allow new build to take place.
If you would like to register to
for future articles please contact
E: gareth.davies@burgessalmon.com
NuclearCONNECT
27
Training
How to be an Overachiever resh from a lightning tour (as a motivational speaker) that took in Denmark, Dublin and Rome Frank Newberry pauses to consider how we might all achieve a little more.
F
Just as a great gardener can 'assist' Mother Nature and cultivate for us a beautifully landscaped garden we can 'help' ourselves and our career prospects with some good cultivation practices of our own. Just as we can neglect a garden we can also neglect ourselves and let nature take its course. Personally I like being a couch potato a lot of the time - it suits my lifestyle of peace and tranquillity interspersed with the occasional desperate panic and emergency! However there is research that suggests that the people who do try to set themselves new but reachable goals on a regular basis are amongst the highest achievers in life. This research, which was carried out on people who were known to understand the concept of goals, discounts people with great intelligence or personal wealth to start with and those who have won the lottery or other games of chance. I wonder which of the four groups you are in below.
1. PEOPLE WHO WRITE DOWN AND REVIEW GOALS REGULARLY The table below suggests that the highest 4% of achievers in life are those who write down goals and review them regularly. These are the people who will adjust some of their deadlines to account for circumstances, perhaps even re-writing their goals mid-term. They do not allow the goals to become 'set in stone'; the goals exist to help the high achiever to focus his/her efforts. People in this group achieve almost all of their goals.
2. PEOPLE WHO WRITE DOWN GOALS BUT DO NOT REVIEW THEM The next highest achieving group represent 6% of the population. They write down goals at least one per year but they tend not to review them but are happy when their efforts and their circumstances combine to achieve a written goal. However because they do not review their goals and adjust their deadlines when circumstances work against them they tend to 'fail' to achieve some of their goals. People in this group achieve a lot, but not all, of their goals
People's Approach to Personal Goals Proportion of People Achieving Most - Highest Achievers at Top 1 People who write down and review goals regularly 4%
1 2 4
2 People who write down goals but do not review them 6% 3 People who have goals in their mind only 60%
3
4 People who do not have any goals at all 30% TOTAL 100%
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Training
3. PEOPLE WHO HAVE GOALS IN MIND BUT DO NOT WRITE THEM DOWN The next highest achieving group represent a massive 60% of the population. It is the majority of us who want 'one day' to go on that exotic holiday; to do a parachute jump, to get a better job or to retire early. People in this group set rather daunting goals which they do not break down into achievable steps or milestones. They regard themselves as very blessed when circumstances do conspire to make one of their goals achievable.
4. PEOPLE WHO DO NOT HAVE ANY GOALS The lowest achieving group represent a substantial 30% of the population. They are people who are not aspirational; they do not feel that they will ever have the resources or the good fortune they need to achieve any meaningful goals. They may do the lottery and hope to win it one day and they are happy for others to be successful. People in this group do not set goals so their goal success cannot be measured. However, it has to be said that many of them are happy and contented with their lives.
Something you really want to achieve at work that you have never done before. It could even be something that has never been achieved by anyone before'. You can predict what happened that year. As we progressed through the year which goal got my best attention? Which goal was achieved first? Which goal had never been achieved in British industry let alone in our little part of it? You guessed it. My 'personal breakthrough' goal.
WHY? BECAUSE IT WAS MY OWN, SET BY ME. Conventionally though goal setting has categories that you may wish to consider for your personal breakthrough, to help you overachieve. In the past I have picked from the following list but you can 'pick and mix' or invent your own category. Category
Example
1.
Health Goals
2.
Fitness Goals
- give up bad eating habits - get in shape
3.
Social Goals
- get out more - get more qualifications
4.
Study Goals
IN MY LIFE
5.
Career Goals
I have to confess that over the years I have, at some time or another, been in every one of the groups mentioned. There were times and situations in my life that were so exciting that goals were the last thing I needed to motivate me to perform better at work or in my career. That said I have to confess that the year I set myself ten goals to be achieved in one year was a special year. I put those goals on a notice board at work so that I had to look at them every day. It ended up being the year that I achieved most in any one year of my life.
6.
Finance Goals
- get debts paid off
7.
Attitude Goals
- get happy
8.
Family Goals
9.
Cultural Goals
9 OUT OF 10 ISN'T BAD I achieved nine and a half of my ten goals that year. The one I did not achieve was a musical goal. I set myself the goal of being able to play a piano competently, from scratch, in one year. I got distracted by some of my other goals in the latter part of the year and I had only mastered a few chords by my deadline. I would now of course just adjust my deadline and achieve my goal eventually and by doing so would eventually achieve most or all of my goals. If you want to test yourself against your personal best, if you quietly fancy the idea of being an overachiever there needs to be some rules if you are going to maximise the chances of your success. These are:
- get promotion
- get more time with family members - expand my vocabulary
10. Spiritual Goals - get involved in some voluntary work As we contemplate the New Year let me wish you good luck with your personal goals, with being an overachiever. You may not need luck but you might need to remember the high achiever statistics, you will definitely need to follow the rules and above all try to only set goals that really inspire you e.g. your personal breakthrough.
DO YOU NEED A DOCTOR? DOES YOUR TEAM NEED A DOCTOR? If you were unwell and parts of your body were underperforming you might go and see your doctor. If your work team was underperforming would you ignore the problem and hope it went away?
1 The goals must be written down
Apparently 50% of work teams in the UK would do nothing! Which 50% are you and your work team in?
2 The goals must be your own
If all this sounds familiar? It does not have to be this way.
3 The goals must be positive i.e. 98% success rate rather than 2% failure rate
You can call the team doctor and get things fixed!
4 The goals must be measurable 5 The goals must be specific i.e. I will lose a stone not I will lose weight 6 The goals must be stated in visible terms - so that you can see the results not just 'I will feel better' 7 The goals must have a deadline 8 The goals must be realistic 9 The goals must have a benefit statement i.e. I will lose weight and be fitter 10 The goals must allow you to be flexible i.e. deadlines might need to change. With reference to Rule 2 'The goals must be your own' I had a boss who once told me that he wanted me to have ten goals for the year ahead. 'Fine', I said 'I will go and write them up for you'. 'No need' he said 'nine of your goals will be mine. Nine of mine are my boss's and so on up through the organisation. You need only come up with (what he called) one personal breakthrough goal.
Attend one of Team Doctor Frank Newberry’s ‘Excellence at Work’ Seminars. Give your team an excellent training experience. Just contact Frank at 01908 520202 or visit
franknewberry.com Clients include: Apple, BT and Motorola . has helped us to create “ Frank an excellent team foundation. With his guidance we have developed a solid, motivated staff of professionals
”
Gordon Irvine, Deal, Kent Newberry is a fantastic “ Frank speaker and advisor who delivers with such personal friendliness, flair and charisma … I learned things I will never forget
”
Stephen McGuigan, Beverley, North Yorkshire. NuclearCONNECT
29
Training
Education for a Nuclear Workforce: How UCLan found its nuclear niche Photo: Westlakes campus. Courtesy of UCLan
n the last decade the University of Central Lancashire, UCLan, has become the country's main supplier of vocational Higher Education courses specifically for the civil nuclear industry. It has pioneered a series of foundation degrees for the industry which now run in colleges across the country.
I
This started when UCLan ran an internal Foundation engineering degree course at Sellafield for staff working on the site. The idea was to save the students from having to all travel to Preston. Around this time, Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) work on the skills agenda, identifying gaps and how they might be filled, highlighted the fact that there was a demand for nuclear related higher education in West Cumbria that no one was filling. UCLan seized the opportunity and filled the niche, establishing its Westlakes Campus at Westlakes Science and Technology Park near Whitehaven. This has been the springboard for its burgeoning reputation as a provider of flexible, nuclear related degree courses. 30
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Studying for a degree in nuclear project management & programme control Among UCLan's suite of nuclear courses is a unique Foundation Degree in Nuclear Project Management and Programme Control. This course was developed in response to an NDA review of skills needs for the next ten years which included Nuclear Project Management as one of five key skill shortage areas in the industry The Project Management course is in its third year running at UCLan's newly refurbished Westlakes campus. Nuclear education, training and research at UCLan are organised by the John Tindall Nuclear Research Institute, named after the distinguished 19th century scientist and natural philosopher who attended lectures at Preston's Institute for the Diffusion of Knowledge, which, 150 years later became part of UCLan. Jonathan Francis, Acting Head of the Tindall Research Institute talked to NuclearCONNECT about the development of the existing courses and plans for the
future. He said, “We are getting very positive feedback about the course and about the things they are learning from students in their second and third years. We are also receiving good feedback from their line managers about how the students have progressed.� The project management students are a mix of age groups and experiences mostly employed at Sellafield, but who have identified a need for project management skills. Some are graduates who are learning the nuclear side of the business while others are mature employees seeking to improve their qualifications. Project management is a valuable skill which can be transferred into other industries. The three year day release course has been running for three years and the first intake of 16 students - who all work at Sellafield - will graduate this year with the qualification FdSc. Next year the course may also be run at UCLan's Preston campus, catering for students from Risley, Springfields, Capenhurst and Heysham. UCLan is
Training
Geordie Mensforth is a Sub Project Manager at Sellafield and is in his second year of the Project Management and Programme Control Foundation Degree
project manager. I'm in my second
Geordie did an electrical engineering apprenticeship in the army, and has now worked at Sellafield for 10 years.
full range of project management with
“My experience was with electronics and safety, and I wanted something that would give me a formal qualification for a career change. I did some technical authoring and then moved into project management as a project engineer. Now I want to develop myself and become a
We are getting into the real meat of the
It is a broad general engineering course with nuclear safety and management as well as electrical and chemical engineering. This course is running at Bridgewater College (serving Hinkley Point and Devonport Docks), at Sussex Coast College (serving Sizewell and Dungeness) and in West Cumbria. currently developing a range of top up modules to take the project management degree to honours level. Two more years of day release, will convert the three year foundation degree into an Honours level qualification.
A range of nuclear Foundation Degree courses cater for a range of students in a range of locations Another UCLan course is the foundation degree in decommissioning (FDSc). This is franchised to Lakes College (West Cumbria) where it has been running for six years. The course attracts mature workers refocusing their careers. It runs as day release and takes three years to complete. In Somerset, Bridgewater College run the same course as block release taking two years plus one term to complete. Another Foundation Degree in Engineering (nuclear), FDEng have been put together by UCLAN, the National Skills Academy for Nuclear and the University of Portsmouth.
Bridgewater and Sussex Coast run the course as block release, mainly for people who have completed a craft apprenticeship and want to continue to study and improve their qualifications while working. In West Cumbria, the FDEng courses in West Cumbria are franchised to the GENII training organisation and run at its own facility. They have been running for several years and provide the next stage qualification for craft apprentices, GEN II apprentices, HNC or OND entrants UCLan awards qualification for four FDEng courses: Nuclear Related Technology; Instrumentation and Control; Commissioning and Maintenance and Design Engineering. At the moment these courses only run in Cumbria, but there is interest from further afield in developing the course as blended learning or distance learning modules. Like the other Foundation degrees, there is a lot of input from employers into the curriculum, which include both academic study and workbased learning.
year and the course fits closely with my job as Sub Project Manager. It's a very comprehensive course and covers the programme controls. I use a lot of things that they teach me on a day to day basis. course and doing more on design and planning, and contracts. It is very useful. In the third year we bring all the modules together and run with a project. In the long term I'd like to become a full project manager on higher value projects”
Postgraduate courses in nuclear safety and security The John Tyndall Institute has also pioneered some specialist postgraduate courses. It currently runs a Postgraduate Certificate in Civil Nuclear Governance and an MSc that follows on from this is about to receive validation. A postgraduate certificate in nuclear safety is also being validated. This is likely to be the first of three modules of a Masters degree in nuclear safety. Dr Francis says, “I am excited by the nuclear safety course. It will provide a useful opportunity to develop careers whether you are an engineer or a project manager and the progression will take people through to Chartered Engineer status.” Dr Francis added, “We can offer a unique course, which will be popular and will have international appeal. A number of companies and public bodies have expressed interest, not just in our country.” The postgraduate provision in nuclear safety, security and safeguards will consist of new Postgraduate Certificates in Nuclear Safety and in Nuclear Security which will add up to a unique Diploma or MSc in Nuclear Safety, Security and Safeguards. With a variety of non-nuclear countries planning to develop civil nuclear power, these pioneering postgraduate courses could bring a very international student body to UCLan's Westlakes campus. NuclearCONNECT
31
Health & Safety
Influencing
BEHAVIOUR to Reduce Workplace Accidents Richard Pound explains why the most important skill we all need is our ability to influence human behaviour and provides a proven approach for achieving this vital skill within the context of site health and safety.
E
very aspect of our world,
when implemented individually, none of
The first thing we need to do is understand
our communities and our
these approaches work. However, companies
why people aren't following the safety rules.
personal lives is driven by how
that have zero accidents, focus on changing
What 'forces' are driving them to act in this
people behave. Everything we
two behaviours, namely everyone:
way? To help with this diagnosis, stop
experience (with the exception of gravity) is because people behave in certain ways. The current financial crisis, global warming,
1. Must follow the safety rules. 2. Holds everyone else to account
people's actions and consider six different sources of influence (see below). These six
MRSA, traffic congestion and our inability
for following the safety rules.
to stick to our New Year's resolutions, are
All we want people to do is to follow the
people's behaviour. These sources are often
all determined by human behaviour.
safety rules. What could be easier? Out
overlooked because we live in a 'quick-fix'
The problem is that the majority of people
comes that memo that asks everyone to
world that leads us to believe there are
are poor at changing other's (or our own)
“be safer”, followed by an invitation to a
'silver bullet' solutions to our complex
behaviour in a sustainable way.
mandatory safety training programme. The
behaviour problems.
When it comes to Nuclear Sites, the same
months pass but people continue to disobey
applies. For example, the biggest factor that
the rules and make up excuses - and
determines accident statistics is not just the
accidents continue to happen.
size of the safety policy, the safety training
And here's the problem. We think people
programme, the number of safety signs, or
don't follow safety rules because they don't
how recently the site manager reinforced
want to - we think they're lazy, unmotivated,
the need to follow procedures - it's simply
or simply don't care about safety. We make
determined by the behaviour of everyone
what psychologists call the fundamental
working on site.
attribution error - we incorrectly attribute
Unfortunately, most of us have no systematic
people's behaviour to their motive.
and consistently successful way of influencing
So why do we do what we do?
people to change their behaviour. We typically use our favourite methods - verbal persuasion, a presentation, memo or policy - and when this doesn't work, we resort to threats or punishments or simply learn to cope until we find ways to deal with the consequences of the bad behaviour. Hiring teams of safety compliance staff is like parking the ambulance at the bottom of the cliff and
behave in the way we do because we either want to, or because we can. We are either motivated (or unmotivated) or able (or unable) to do that behaviour. To influence behaviour, we need to look at this motivation and ability from three perspectives: ■
Personal Motivation and Personal Ability - Do we gain pleasure or pain from the behaviour? Do we have the
stopping people jumping off in the first place.
skills to do the behaviour?
How does this apply to the Nuclear Industry?
sources identify the many causes behind
Two factors determine our behaviour. We
dealing with the casualties, rather than
■
Social Motivation and Social Ability The people around us have a huge
Look at the following example. How do you get staff, subcontractors, and other workers to consistently follow the on-site safety
© Copyright VitalSmarts 2010
Only by looking at all six sources, and developing an influence strategy for each one, will we succeed in changing behaviour in a sustainable way. In fact, research shows that if you use four or more sources of influence, you're ten times more likely to achieve the change you want.
For more information and details
influence on our behaviour. This is
of training programmes, visit
referred to as peer pressure and social
www.gra.uk.com/influencer.asp
capital (the help, information and
procedures? You can train them in the
resources that others provide).
Richard Pound
Structural Motivation and Structural
Business Development Director
you of responsibility), or place signs across
Ability - Non-human factors in our
Grahame Robb Associates Ltd
the site warning of the consequences of not
environment that motivate or enable
richard@gra.uk.com
following the safety rules. It turns out that
us to behave in the way we do.
procedures, get them to sign a contract that confirms they'll comply (and absolve
32
thinking there is one root cause behind
NuclearCONNECT
■
Health & Safety
6 The
Source 1 Personal Motivation No matter how important, many safety rules we ask people to follow are boring, tedious, painful or time consuming. Wearing protective clothing, putting safety guards down, or arranging banksmen, are all so 'inconvenient'. Influence experts know the best way to motivate people is to get them to care and value the change they're asked to make. By helping people consciously make the link between the new behaviours and their personal values or the human consequences of the behaviour, you're tapping into a source of motivation that is stronger than any speech, memo or sign.
SIX Sources of
Influence
Source 2 Personal Ability
Not only do we need to be motivated to do this new behaviour, but we also need to have the skill and knowledge to do it. Too often, our strategy is to send people on a safety course where we assume they'll walk away with all the skills or knowledge they'll need to follow complicated safety procedures. Or, worse yet, we think the skill is obvious and training isn't needed. To enable people to perform new behaviours, focus on precisely what you want them to do and invest time and resources in deliberate practice sessions to ensure they'll have the personal ability and skills to do what's required.
Source 5 Structural Motivation Having started with personal and social motivation, you'll need to reinforce these with a well designed incentive system. It is vital to link the rewards and incentives to the behaviour itself and not just outcomes. Link a proportion of managers' incentive pay to meeting their targets for behaviour change. Openly praise people for following the rules or give them a reward. Equally important, is holding others accountable who fail to follow the rules.
Source 6 Sources 3 & 4
Structural Ability
Social Motivation and Ability
We frequently overlook this final source of influence, which is about changing our environment - altering those physical 'things' which that make the behaviour easier or more difficult. For instance, make it easier to follow the rules by locating safety equipment close to where it's required. Use safety metrics data and safety signs to remind people about the safety practices. Before you work on changing people, first look at changing the space, data streams, systems and machinery.
No matter how personally motivated and able we are, we'll fail at performing our new behaviours if we encounter huge social influence to not follow the procedures. Longstanding bad habits and behaviours are almost always supported by other people around us who encourage/enable the wrong behaviours or discourage/disable the right behaviours. To gain social support for new behaviours, enlist the help of formal and informal opinion leaders - people that others respect or admire. If opinions leaders demonstrate the right behaviours, others are more likely to follow suit. Let these 'early adopters' lead the way, get them involved in designing safety procedures and enlist their support to follow these rules. This peer pressure and social capital will support change rather than stifle it.
It's the combination that works It's important to stress that any one of these sources will not change behaviour on its own. It's the combination of actions across all six sources of influence that will result in changing behaviour. So the next time you are struggling with a seemingly impossible problem, a persistant safety violation, projects that are late or over budget, or issues that have resisted prior attempts at change, remind yourself that the key to achieving results is influencing new behaviour. Don't make the mistake of simply implementing policy, process or technology solutions, or bringing in quality checkers or introducing another form. Identify those few key behaviours that you need people to do and then use these six sources to profoundly influence people to enact those behaviours every time, all the time.
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