ASN Report 2018

HAUTS-DE-FRANCE REGIONAL OVERVIEWOF NUCLEAR SAFETY AND RADIATION PROTECTION Concerning maintenance, 2018 saw the performance of its third 10-yearly outage of reactor 6 (the last reactor on the site to undergo this outage). Alongside this, the condition of certain facilities (particularly the pumping stations which display recurrent corrosion problems) and more generally the condition of the premises need to be improved. The involvement of all the members of personnel is necessary to detect and report deviations. With regard to environmental protection, ASN considers that the performance of the Gravelines NPP is below the average for the EDF plants; it must in particular ensure better control of the site’s wastewater treatment. In 2018, ASN adapted the prescriptions relative to the conditions of sampling and discharging of effluents from the Gravelines NPP into the environment, more specifically to allow the performance of pumping tests in the groundwater table before installing the ultimate water back-up system. With regard to radiation protection, ASN continues to note shortcomings in the access control of some areas presenting risks of radiological exposure. Progress is also expected in the detection and handling of deviations in this area. In the area of transport, the Gravelines NPPmust be attentive to compliance with package tie-down rules during on-site transport operations. The key event in 2018 relating to ASN inspections on this site was an in-depth inspection conducted from 14 to 18 May by a team of ten inspectors from all over France and coordinated by the ASN Inspector-in-Chief. This inspection was attended by two observers from the Belgian nuclear regulator (AFCN and BelV) and three members of the Gravelines CLI, in addition to the participating technical experts from IRSN. A film of this inspection can be viewed on asn.fr . The Société de maintenance nucléaire in Maubeuge Société de maintenance nucléaire (Somanu) is situated in the industrial zone of Grévaux‑les‑Guides in the locality of Maubeuge in the Nord département . The facility ensures the repair, maintenance and expert assessment of equipment and activities stemming primarily from nuclear reactors, excluding fuel elements. Somanu constituted BNI 143. After reviewing the quantities of radioactive substances handled by Somanu, the Ministry for Ecological and Inclusive Transition and ASN have acknowledged that the BNI now comes under the system of Installations Classified for Protection of the Environment (ICPE) and is consequently now outside the scope of ASN oversight.   Labour inspection in the Gravelines nuclear power plant Twelve labour inspection operations were carried out in the Gravelines NPP during 2018. The inspections were divided between inspections conducted on the maintenance worksites, carried out during the reactor outages, and thematic inspections (work at height, electrical conformity, lifting). Meetings were also organised with senior management, employes and personnel representatives. With regard to health and safety, ASN remains attentive to the training of operators working at height and to the precautions to be taken when lifting loads. Unlike 2017, there were no serious work accidents. In-depth inspection by ASN at the Gravelines NPP – May 2018. ASN report on the state of nuclear safety and radiation protection in France in 2018  55