ASN Report 2018

NORMANDIE REGIONAL OVERVIEWOF NUCLEAR SAFETY AND RADIATION PROTECTION Assessment of the La Hague site ASN considers the results of Orano Cycle’s activity at the La Hague site to be fairly satisfactory in the area of nuclear safety and satisfactory on the whole for worker radiation protection and environmental protection. ASN nevertheless notes that the licensee must improve the points developed below, particularly the management of maintenance and the periodic checks and the tracking of action plans. Several inspections and events highlighted shortcomings in the periodic checks required by the General Operating Rules (RGE). ASN more specifically noted periodic checks that were not performed, and difficulties in demonstrating satisfactory training of the workers responsible for these checks. In early 2018, the licensee subcontracted maintenance technical services, all trades combined, to an outside company for each of the three operational units of the plants in operation. These new contracts, called «multi-technique contracts», group together varied services which are themselves subcontracted in whole or in part. The ASN inspections showed that there were major implications in terms of skills and knowledge of the facilities for the chosen contractors. Furthermore, the licensee must improve the robustness of its preventive maintenance policy for Equipment Important to Protection (EIP) and the control of its implementation. The preventive maintenance of the EIPs helps ensure the durability of their qualification, in the same way as the periodic checks and tests. With regard to the monitoring of outside contractors, the licensee must reinforce its method of preparing the monitoring plans, taking into account the risks associated with subcontracted operations, and improve the skills and qualification of its monitoring personnel and their embracing of the specific provisions of the Order of 7 February 2012. These actions are all the more important given the implementation of these multi-technique contracts which require monitoring methods that are suited to the grouping of services. ASN considers that Orano Cycle must continue the actions undertaken to improve the monitoring and managing of deviations and the associated lessons learned. Orano Cycle must better characterise the deviations, reduce their processing times, deepen the analysis of causes to develop preventive measures which are sometimes neglected in favour of curative actions. The actions plans drawn up further to the lessons learned from deviations or events reported to ASN must be implemented with greater rigour. ASN has observed delays in the implementation of actions associated with the control of handling operations. ASN has noted lines for improvement with regard to the integration of Organisational and Human Factors (OHF) in the processes relating to organisational modifications and safety, implementation of the associated baseline requirements of the Orano group and decompartmentalisation of the departments in which the site’s skills are situated. Orano Cycle must develop its resources and the professionalization of its network of OHF representatives in order to improve its abilities to assess early warning signs, deviations and events, and to deepen the analysis of the root and organisational causes of malfunctions. Orano Cycle must also ensure that the skills specific to this subject are better integrated in the preparation and monitoring of organisational changes. During inspections on the fire theme, the inspectors noted problems with accessibility of buildings for the fire-fighting teams due to the presence of several major worksites and a lack of upkeep of certain secondary access points. Such situations can cause additional delays in response team interventions. On the other hand, progress was noted in compliance with the places specifically reserved for the emergency means, guaranteeing deployment of the response teams as close as possible to where they are needed. With regard to the periodic checks of the emergency means, ASN notes a widespread drift in the annual inspections of the site’s fire extinguishers, indicating shortcomings in the licensee’s organisation for tracking these checks. Lastly, ASN carried out unannounced emergency situation simulations and finds that Orano Cycle must improve the coordination between its measures to control the fire risk and the measures to physically protect the nuclear materials. In the context of the review of the analysis of risks associated with hazardous substances conducted by Orano Cycle in early 2018, ASN conducted an inspection to check in situ the operational nature of the safety barriers described by the licensee. ASN considers that significant improvements must be made regarding the prevention of major accidents involving hazardous substances. ASN has asked the licensee to significantly improve the non-radiological-risk culture of its teams and its means for checking risk prevention measures. The licensee must also carry out an in-depth assessment of the measures taken to prevent explosion risks and to protect the installations. With regard to worker radiation protection, the organisation defined and implemented on the La Hague site and the results obtained are found to be satisfactory on the whole. Random sampling checks have nevertheless revealed deficiencies in cordoning off radiological zones, lateness in performing measuring instrument calibration checks and a lack of rigour in the updating of the radiation protection grids defining the radiological zoning of the installations (traceability of changes in the radiological zoning of the rooms). Furthermore, ASN has noted the increase in subcontracting of the radiation protection activity and the emergence of difficulties in recruiting and ramping up the skills of the service providers, points that will receive particular attention in 2019. With regard to control of impacts and discharges, the organisation defined and implemented on the La Hague site and the results obtained are found to be satisfactory. ASN considers that Orano Cycle must be attentive to the rigour of management of the waste storage areas and continue its efforts to control the risks associated with the management of waste collection and packaging points. 72  ASN report on the state of nuclear safety and radiation protection in France in 2018