The labour inspectorate, which takes part in the integrated vision of oversight sought by ASN, carries out its monitoring work in conjunction with the other activities to monitor and oversee the safety of facilities and radiation protection. Oversight of occupational health and safety regulations Following on from the action taken in 2022, the labour inspectors carried out checks in all the NPPs on the verifications of the electrical installations EDF is required to perform in accordance with the Labour Code. The various inspections carried out by the labour inspectors brought to light weaknesses in the organisation on the sites for the correct performance of these checks or for coordination of these checks between the various EDF entities. They also carried out inspections during two campaigns covering all the NPPs on the topic of prevention of risks linked to work performed by an outside contractor, as well as mobile working equipment and lifting equipment. At the same time, the labour inspectors continued their checks on maintenance operations with risks linked to the non-conformity of working equipment, lifting equipment in particular. Finally, the labour inspectors followed up all the events compromising worker safety that had occurred on the sites, systematically initiating inquiries in the event of serious accidents or near accidents. They were also called on to deal with cases relating to psychosocial and working hours risks. 2.8.2 Assessment of health and safety, professional relations and quality of employment in the Nuclear Power Plants ASN notes that, according to EDF data on the first nine months of 2023 as compared with the same period in 2022, the overall accident rate is up 10% (+17% for accidents with time lost, +3% for accidents without time lost) but with more hours worked in 2023. These labour accidents mainly concern tripping (44%), handling of objects or tools (22%), manual handling (9%) and feeling unwell (7%). This accident rate on the site, 54% of which concerned the outside contractors in 2023, has fallen (63% in 2022). With regard to near accidents, more than half concern critical risks (represented 33% by lifting, 18% by electrical risks, 12% by falls from height). Certain occupational risk contexts, such as those linked to working equipment, notably lifting equipment, asbestos, or electrical risks, need to be further improved. In 2024, ASN will continue its oversight of these fields. In 2023, the social climate deteriorated, notably within the outside contractors, leading the labour inspectorate to intervene in the settlement of disputes, whether individual or collective. The NPPs also experienced labour movements at the beginning of the year, as part of the pension reform protests. The labour inspectors also issued reminders regarding extreme heat working conditions, work on 1 May and compliance with maximum working hours. 3 Continued operation of the Nuclear Power Plants 3.1 THE AGE OF NUCLEAR POWER PLANTS The NPPs currently in service in France were built over a relatively short period of time: 45 nuclear power reactors, representing nearly 50,000 MWe, or three-quarters of the power output by all the French nuclear power reactors, were commissioned between 1980 and 1990, and seven reactors, representing 10,000 MWe, between 1991 and 2000. In December 2023, the average age of the 56 reactors in operation, calculated from the dates of first divergence, can be broken down as follows: ∙ 41 years for the 32 nuclear power reactors of 900 MWe; ∙ 36 years for the 20 nuclear power reactors of 1,300 MWe; ∙ 26 years for the four nuclear power reactors of 1,450 MWe. 3.2 THE PERIODIC SAFETY REVIEW The principle of the periodic safety review Every ten years, EDF must carry out a periodic safety review of its installations. The periodic safety reviews of nuclear power reactors comprise the following two steps: ∙ A check on the condition and conformity of the facility: this first step aims to assess the situation of the installation with respect to the rules applicable to it. It is based on a range of inspections and tests in addition to those performed in realtime. These verifications may comprise design reviews, as well as field inspections of the equipment, or even ten-yearly tests such as the containment pressure tests. Any deviations detected during these investigations are then restored to conformity within a time-frame commensurate with their potential consequences. Ageing management is also incorporated into this part of the review. On 2 February 2023, contamination of a worker from an EDF contractor was detected during the checks performed at the exit from the controlled area of the reactor 3 building of the Cattenom NPP. The medical service immediately took charge of the person and located the radioactive particle causing the contamination on the cheek. The particle was removed. The person concerned was fitting heat insulation on the valves of various systems in the reactor building, which was shut down as part of the inspection and repair activities relating to the SC phenomenon. The evaluation of the dose received by the worker exceeds the regulation limit for the dose equivalent on the skin, set at 500 millisieverts (mSv) for a skin surface area of 1 cm2. EDF reported an ESR. Owing to the regulatory occupational exposure limit being exceeded, this event was rated 2 on the INES scale. Following this event report, ASN carried out an inspection on the Cattenom NPP, to check that EDF had taken all necessary steps for adequate management of the event and for analysis of its causes. The previous level 2 ESR reported by an EDF NPP dates back to 2021. EXTERNAL CONTAMINATION OF A WORKER IN THE CATTENOM NPP ASN Report on the state of nuclear safety and radiation protection in France in 2023 313 • 10 • The EDF Nuclear Power Plants 10 05 15 08 11 04 14 06 07 13 AP 03 02 09 12 01
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy NjQ0NzU=