The Bordeaux and Marseille divisions jointly regulate nuclear safety, radiation protection and the transport of radioactive substances in the 13 départements of the Occitanie region. Occitanie Region In 2021, ASN carried out 125 inspections in the Occitanie region, comprising 52 inspections in BNIs, 62 in smallscale nuclear activities, 6 in the transport of radioactive substances and 5 concerning organisations and laboratories approved by ASN. ASN also carried out 14 days of labour inspection at the Golfech NPP. During 2021, four signif icant events rated level 1 on the INES scale were reported by the licensees of the nuclear installations in Occitanie. In small-scale nuclear activities, 4 signif icant radiation protection events rated level 1 on the INES scale were reported to ASN (3 in the industrial sector and 1 in the medical sector). Golfech nuclear power plant The Golfech NPP operated by EDF is located in the Tarnet‑Garonne département, 40 km west of Montauban. This NPP comprises two 1,300 MWe PWRs. Reactor 1 constitutes BNI 135 and reactor 2 BNI 142. ASN considers that the performance of the Golfech NPP with regard to nuclear safety is below ASN’s general assessment of EDF plant performance. ASN considers that site’s performance in environmental protection and radiation protection is in line with this general assessment. With regard to nuclear safety, ASN considers that deployment of the Safety rigour plan since 2019 demonstrates senior management’s commitment to improving the site’s nuclear safety performance. Nevertheless, the actions and efforts undertaken in this context have not yet produced visible results on the Golfech NPP indicators. The reactor 2 maintenance and refuelling outage in 2021 revealed shortcomings in operational management, already identif ied in preceding years: skills deficiencies and insufficient serenity and organisation in the control room. These shortcomings resulted in the reporting of numerous signif icant safety events, three of which were rated level 1 on the INES scale. ASN considers that in 2022 the licensee must improve the monitoring of control room activities by enhancing the operators’ skills and defining the role of each player, particularly as regards supervision of the activities. The NPP’s maintenance performance must be improved, particularly in view of the numerous unexpected events induced by operations performed during the reactor 2 outage, which overran the initial schedule by four and a half months. The deviations in the maintenance operations performed on the valves and the emergency diesel generator sets in particular, revealed def iciencies in prof iciency and command of the activities. Despite an improvement in the handling of deviations detected on the equipment in 2021, ASN considers that the licensee must step up its efforts in this area to reach the required standard. With regard to occupational radiation protection, ASN considers that the efforts made by the site in 2021 have borne fruit, more specif ically through an improvement in the workers’ attitude with respect to radiation protection rules. ASN noted that the collective dosimetry objectives were met during the reactor 2 outage, despite its prolongation. Two tightened inspections conducted in 2021 concluded that the situation regarding the limitation of occupational exposure to ionising radiation was satisfactory. In the area of environmental protection, ASN considers that the Golfech NPP obtained satisfactory results. The Golfech site must nevertheless progress in its strategy for preventing run-offs and unplanned dispersion of radioactive or hazardous liquid substances into the environment, particularly as concerns the sealing of the containment pond and of the valves shutting off liquid discharges into the natural environment. With regard to labour inspection, ASN considers that coordination of the risks associated with the interface between different activities must be improved, as must the quality of activity preparation and risk analyses. ASN considers that the occupational safety results for the site are improving. Nevertheless, an accidental exposure to asbestos in 2021 shows that this risk must be more seriously taken into account, as must the risk situations relating to work at height. ASN also noted recurrent deficiencies in the regulatory monitoring of the electrical installations. 84 ABSTRACTS – ASN Report on the state of nuclear safety and radiation protection in France in 2021 REGIONAL OVERVIEWOF NUCLEAR SAFETY AND RADIATION PROTECTION
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