Mark Foy, ONR’s Chief Executive and Chief Nuclear Inspector, and Dame Judith Hackitt DBE, ONR’s interim Chair, visited the Dounreay site in Caithness, Scotland as part of their routine programme of visits to licensed sites. During a busy day on site they met with staff and visited various facilities including: · The newly-constructed remote handleable intermediate level waste store which, once commissioned, will hold Dounreay’s higher activity waste in future years; · The prototype fast reactor fuel reprocessing facility, which is one of the site’s most complex decommissioning projects due to contamination levels and the conventional hazards present; · The prototype fast reactor complex, where they spent time discussing the next stages in decommissioning with facility management; and · Observed preparations for diamond wire cutting of heavy concrete fuel cells for final decommissioning. Mark and Judith also met with NRS Dounreay and Nuclear Restoration Services (NRS) senior leaders to discuss nuclear safety, security and safeguards across the site and wider NRS estate. They also engaged with the site’s lead safety representative and the site’s stakeholder group to hear their perspectives.
Office for Nuclear Regulation
Public Safety
Our mission is to protect society by securing safe nuclear operations.
About us
ONR independently regulates nuclear safety and security at 35 nuclear licensed sites in the UK. We also regulate transport and ensure that safeguards obligations for the UK are met. Our duty is to ensure that the nuclear industry controls its hazards effectively, has a culture of continuous improvement and maintains high standards. The nuclear industry is undergoing rapid change and our role as a regulator is vital in ensuring new nuclear facilities are designed, built and operated to the highest standards, and in a manner that improves public confidence without compromising safety or security. We also oversee the decommissioning of nuclear sites and cooperate with international regulators on safety and security issues of common concern, including associated research. Our work is critical to the protection of society at large so it is important that we do it with rigour, diligence and with an appropriate level of assurance. Comment policy: as a national regulator, it is important that we maintain our independence. As part of this, we moderate our social media presence and may need to review comments if necessary, for example where our impartial role in an investigation may be compromised. Where possible we will contact commenters to inform them of this decision. If you wish to discuss a moderation decision made on our social media channels, please get in touch at [email protected].
- Website
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http://www.onr.org.uk/
External link for Office for Nuclear Regulation
- Industry
- Public Safety
- Company size
- 501-1,000 employees
- Headquarters
- Merseyside
- Type
- Government Agency
- Founded
- 2014
- Specialties
- Nuclear regulation, Nuclear safety, Nuclear security, Nuclear safeguards, Nuclear site health and safety, and Regulation of transport of nuclear materials
Locations
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Primary
Get directions
Redgrave Court, Merton Road
Bootle
Merseyside, L20 7HS, GB
Employees at Office for Nuclear Regulation
Updates
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The latest issue of ONR News, our regular e-newsletter for the nuclear sector community, is now out: https://lnkd.in/ePPhNdfV This edition features news about Hinkley Point B exiting the Control of Major Accident Hazards Regulations framework after reducing its dangerous substance holdings, and a renewed Memorandum of Understanding agreed between ONR and the Ministry of Defence. If you're not already subscribed, head to our website to sign up for regular updates on our work delivered to your inbox: https://lnkd.in/ebUuNehq
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EDF Energy Ltd has notified ONR and the Environment Agency that Hinkley Point B has reduced the inventory of dangerous substances it holds as part of its decommissioning process, meaning it is no longer subject to the Control of Major Accident Hazards Regulations 2015: https://lnkd.in/dSxMpdm3 As part of this transition, EDF consulted the local authority in the Somerset area to inform them of the change and ensure no additional risk would be posed to the community.
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Congratulations to Rahil Mashhadi, a nuclear equivalent inspector in our Radiation Protection and Criticality specialism, who was recently awarded the 2024 Young Professional’s Award by the OECD Nuclear Energy Agency's Information System on Occupational Exposure (ISOE) Project. ISOE provides a forum for radiological protection professionals from industry and regulators worldwide to share dose reduction information and operational experience to improve worker radiological protection. Rahil recently attended the ISOE2024 Symposium in Rotterdam, where he gave two highly-commended presentations as well as being named Young Professional of the Year. He said: “I am delighted to have the opportunity of presenting to delegations from a wide international audience. The award was an unexpected but proudly-received bonus.”
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Members of the Mediterranean Transport Safety Network (MedNet) recently visited our headquarters to strengthen international working links and promote best practices within Europe for the safe carriage of radioactive material. Inspectors from the Maltese and Slovenian nuclear regulatory bodies spent time collaborating with our Transport Competent Authority (TCA) and continuing to progress harmonisation and continuous improvements in global radiation and transport safety. Joseph Cremona, from the Maltese Commission for the Protection From Ionising and Non-Ionising Radiation, and Zoran Petrovic, from the Slovenian Nuclear Safety Administration, observed one of our transport compliance inspections in Wales and attended a TCA training course during their visit. MedNet was created in 2015 and its Member States include many countries in the European Southern neighbourhood region.
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Mark Foy, our Chief Executive and Chief Nuclear Inspector, yesterday met with a delegation from the 한국공학한림원 National Academy of Engineering of Korea for a bilateral exchange visit on civil nuclear, hosted by the Royal Academy of Engineering. Topics included our approach to regulating new build nuclear sites, how we have evolved our approach to Generic Design Assessment, pre-licensing engagement and assessment. Attendees discussed in depth the UK legal and regulatory framework and how this supports our decision-making. Mark said: "This meeting offered an excellent opportunity to share our enabling approach to regulation and reaffirm our commitment to collaboration with national regulators such as Korea's Nuclear Safety and Security Commission. "It also provided the chance to highlight how we are building on work carried out by fellow regulators to deliver robust, efficient, and timely, assessment and licensing decisions associated with reactor technologies seeking deployment in the UK."
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If you'd like to receive regular updates on our work, make sure you're signed up to ONR News, our regular newsletter, at https://lnkd.in/e-QZq2s2. The next edition goes out next week, featuring the latest news on our work regulating the safety and security of the UK's nuclear sector.
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“There is so much change happening, it’s a great time to be in ONR.” In our latest Our People feature, nuclear site health and safety inspector Kate Leftly shares insights on her role in regulating new reactors, her career journey so far and what she does outside of work: https://lnkd.in/e6g7Qz5U
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Dame Judith Hackitt, our interim Chair, last night received the 2024 President’s Medal from the Royal Academy of Engineering. One of its most prestigious honours, Dame Judith was recognised for her achievements promoting safe and responsible practice across the engineering profession. The medal was presented by Professor Sir Jim McDonald, the academy's President, and was one of a series of awards given at its annual awards dinner in London to mark the best of UK engineering. [Picture credit: Rob Lacey]
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Dame Judith Hackitt, our interim Chair, is set to receive one of the Royal Academy of Engineering’s most prestigious awards. Recognising her longstanding contributions to the academy's work, Dame Judith will be presented with the President’s Medal at next week's academy awards dinner in London. Read more: https://lnkd.in/ei_jrEdM #RAEngAwards