HSE content over circumstances of Wylfa fire response
Her Majesty's Principal Inspector of Nuclear Installations, David Simister, has told the Celtic League he is `content with the operators response' following a fire at the Wylfa nuclear power plant.
The HSE-NII were responding to a League query about the fire. The HSE-NII have yet to respond to League revelations that the most recent fire at Wylfa was in a turbine hall that had been the subject of fire safety concerns earlier this year.
The full text of Mr Simister's letter is set out below:
"Dear Mr. Moflatt
Wylfa Nuclear Power Station — Incident on 18th May 2009
Thank you for your letter to the Health and Safety Executive dated 25th May 2009 which comments on media reports of a fire in the turbine hail at Wylfa. NII's role is to protect people and society from the hazards of the nuclear industry and to ensure that there are no major nuclear accidents.
The site director, Mr Greg Evans, made a short statement about the incident at a recent public meeting of the Site Stakeholder Group Meeting held on 4th June 2009. He said that all fires on a nuclear licensed site were treated as being potentially serious, that the incident was being investigated, that the fire was restricted to a small area , that the fire was quickly extinguished by operators before the fire brigade arrived and was most likely caused by over-heating of oil impregnated lagging. At the meeting I welcomed this statement and noted that I was content with the operator's response.
I have written to the licensee asking for a copy of their investigation report to be provided to HSE-NII as soon as it becomes available. I will discuss the findings with HSE specialist fire inspectors and will be looking for confidence that the licensee is taking a sensible approach in rninimising the likelihood of a reoccurrence.
Yours sincerely
David Simister HM Principal Inspector (Nuclear Installations) Nominated site inspector for Wylfa Nuclear Power Station"
J B Moffatt Director of Information Celtic League
11/06/09
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