Office for Nuclear regulation publishes list of UK “nuclear reportable events”

Today the Office for Nuclear Regulation has published details of all ‘nuclear reportable events' in the UK between April 1 2001 and March 31, 2015. These are deviations to safety standards, however small, which are highlighted so that they can be prioritised and addressed.

The vast majority of events reported relating to EDF Energy are very minor and have no impact on safety. EDF Energy believes that its level of reporting reflects a healthy culture of openness and a commitment to improvement. The number of events with safety implications has fallen since EDF Energy took over the running of the stations in 2009. This is the result of our increasing investment, and a focus on safety and operational performance.

EDF Energy has voluntarily reported all reportable events since 2011 in its monthly station community newsletters published on the company’s website.

All nuclear reportable events affecting EDF Energy’s nuclear power stations since 2001 are published here.

To provide consistency in the way events are reported across the world the International Nuclear Events Scale (INES) was introduced by the International Atomic Energy Agency in 1990. Events are classified on the scale at seven levels: Levels 1–3 are called "incidents" and Levels 4–7 "accidents". Events without safety significance are called “deviations” and are classified Below Scale or Level 0.

As part of our reporting arrangements we inform the ONR of incidents and events that happen on our sites, of these the vast majority were rated at INES Level 1 or below. There have not been any events rated greater than INES 1 within EDF Energy for more than five years. None of these events have had an impact on public safety or the environment.

Brian Cowell, Director of Nuclear Operations said: "We are pleased that ONR is sharing this data. It’s our firm belief that the nuclear industry is, and should always be, completely open and transparent.

"We absolutely agree that reporting the smallest events - including anomalies and events with no safety significance - contribute to a strong and open safety culture and improves safety and operational performance.

"Our people are encouraged to report all incidents, however minor, so that we can deal with them and learn for the future.

"The number of incidents reported is a reflection of the rigour of the safety culture at EDF Energy and in the nuclear industry as a whole."

Station management teams and other employees engage regularly with local communities around the nuclear sites – the visitor centres at power stations welcome over 48,000 people through their doors each year. Over and above this the company meets regularly with local communities and publishes monthly newsletters which contain details of safety and operational performance.

For more information contact:

EDF Energy

EDF Energy is one of the UK’s largest energy companies and the largest producer of low-carbon electricity, producing around one-fifth of the nation's electricity from its nuclear power stations, wind farms, coal and gas power stations and combined heat and power plants. The company supplies gas and electricity to 6 million business and residential customer accounts and is the biggest supplier of electricity by volume in Great Britain.

EDF Energy’s safe and secure operation of its eight existing nuclear power stations at sites across the country makes it the UK’s largest generator of low carbon electricity. EDF Energy is also leading the UK's nuclear renaissance and has published plans to build four new nuclear plants, subject to the right investment framework.

These new plants could generate enough low carbon electricity for about 40% of Britain’s homes. They would make an important contribution to the UK’s future needs for clean, secure and affordable energy. The project is already creating business and job opportunities for British companies and workers.

Through Our Better Energy Ambitions, EDF Energy has developed one of the biggest environmental and social programmes of any British energy company.

In 2014 EDF Energy received seven ‘Big Ticks’ in the Business in the Community (BITC) Responsible Business Awards. In 2013 EDF Energy received the Environmental Leadership for Behavioural Change Award in the national Environment and Energy Awards and was highly commended in the first ever pan European Corporate Social Responsibility Awards scheme for its Sustainable Schools programme – the Pod.

EDF Energy is part of EDF Group, one of Europe’s largest power companies. The company employs around 15,000 people at locations across the UK.

Find out more about the UK's energy challenges and what we're doing to help us achieve Net Zero Britain.