Fire safety at UK nuclear sites praised in European peer review

UK receives positive fire safety review for nuclear sector

The Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR) has reported that international experts have commended the United Kingdom’s fire safety arrangements at nuclear sites following a European peer review.

According to the Office for Nuclear Regulation, the assessment was conducted under the European Nuclear Safety Regulators Group’s (ENSREG) second Topical Peer Review (TPR 2), which selected fire safety as the core topic.

Although the UK no longer holds EU membership, it participated voluntarily in the process as an ENSREG observer.

The national assessment report submitted by the UK was reviewed by specialists from other countries and included input from six licensed nuclear operators in Great Britain alongside inspectors from ONR’s Nuclear Internal Hazards and Site Safety specialism.

The report was recognised for enabling a clear and meaningful peer review through transparent self-assessment findings.

Four good practices identified at UK nuclear sites

ENSREG’s reviewers noted four examples of good performance in the UK’s nuclear fire safety approach.

The Office for Nuclear Regulation stated that these included a sector-wide evaluation of combustible cladding risks, initiated to integrate lessons from the Grenfell Tower fire into nuclear facility protocols.

At Sizewell B, a verification step was introduced for hot work safety, requiring checks beyond the standard assessment and review procedures to improve work area safety.

Position monitoring systems were praised at Hinkley Point C, Sizewell B, and other advanced gas-cooled reactors.

These systems raise alerts in control rooms if fire doors forming part of compartment boundaries are left open.

At Sellafield, reviewers highlighted the use of automatic fire suppression systems on tug engines transporting material across the site.

Each example was described by ENSREG as a notable accomplishment that had been implemented effectively.

Areas for improvement acknowledged by ONR

The UK’s self-assessment also identified three areas for development, which were agreed upon by international reviewers.

According to the Office for Nuclear Regulation, one improvement concerns the need for more systematic evaluation of combined and knock-on hazards at Springfields Fuels Limited.

A second area involves enhancing the consistency between day-to-day combustible load management and the safety case for fire loading at the Dounreay Prototype Fast Reactor.

The third is the completion of a comprehensive fire safety strategy programme at Sellafield.

ENSREG noted these points as ongoing actions required for further strengthening the UK’s nuclear fire safety arrangements.

European countries developing response plans to TPR 2

The Office for Nuclear Regulation stated that countries involved in TPR 2 are now preparing national action plans based on the findings and recommendations.

Each participating country is expected to address the areas of improvement identified in their respective reviews.

The UK’s involvement was positioned as an opportunity to align practices with European standards despite not being a member of the EU.

The peer review was structured to support knowledge exchange and reinforce cross-border learning on fire protection in nuclear settings.

ONR highlights UK regulatory approach to fire safety

Diego Lisbona, Head of Profession for Nuclear Internal Hazards and Site Safety at ONR, said: “The publication of the TPR 2 findings culminates efforts from industry and ONR to benchmark UK nuclear fire safety with practices from across Europe.

“We’re pleased that UK approaches have been recognised as areas of good performance.

“The emergence of no new findings from the peer review illustrates the effectiveness of the UK regulatory regime for nuclear fire safety.”

Lisbona added: “The assessment shows that the UK’s fire safety arrangements meet expectations across several key technical areas and reflect good practice in comparison to international counterparts.

“We continue to support collaborative processes like TPR 2 to strengthen oversight and transparency in the sector.”

Fire safety at UK nuclear sites praised in European peer review: Summary

The Office for Nuclear Regulation has confirmed the UK’s participation in ENSREG’s second Topical Peer Review on fire safety.

The UK took part as an observer following its departure from the European Union.

The UK’s national report was prepared by ONR inspectors and six nuclear licensees.

ENSREG reviewers commended four areas of good performance in the UK’s nuclear fire safety arrangements.

Examples included cladding risk reviews, enhanced hot work procedures, position monitoring on fire doors and fire suppression for transport vehicles.

Three areas for improvement identified by the UK were endorsed by reviewers.

These included hazard assessment at Springfields, combustible load management at Dounreay, and completing strategies at Sellafield.

No new findings were raised during the peer review of the UK report.

ENSREG stated that participating countries would now create action plans to address findings.

ONR’s Diego Lisbona welcomed the confirmation of UK good practices and regulatory performance.