450 / 536
project
via
the domestic agencies. The headquarters
agreement between ITER and the French state was
signed on 7th November 2007 and the creation of the
BNI was authorised by the Decree of 9th November
2012. The ASN resolution of 12th November 2013 sets
prescriptions more specifically concerning the design
and construction of the facility, in order to implement
and supplement the requirements already defined by
the authorisation decree.
2015 was marked by the appointment of a new Director
General for ITER and by organisational changes,
more particularly with the creation of project teams,
incorporating the domestic agencies, for the supply
of the vacuum chamber and buildings. The impact of
these changes will be assessed in 2016, in particular
by comparison with the improvements expected by
ASN with regard to monitoring of the chain of outside
contractors, which includes the domestic agencies.
Initial improvement requests have already been sent
out to ITER.
Despite significant delays, building work on the
facility continued in 2015, more specifically with
the construction of level B2 (2nd basement) of the
tokamak complex and the construction of the metal
framework for the assembly hall. Manufacturing of
equipment for the facility also progressed. In April
2105, ASN carried out an inspection in South Korea
on the monitoring of outside contractors in charge of
manufacturing sectors of the vacuum chamber and
observed that the requirements defined for this work
package had been correctly addressed. An inspection
also concerned the supply by the American domestic
agency of drainage tanks, which were delivered to the
ITER site in 2015. On this subject, ASN considers
that efforts are still needed to formally define and
substantiate the inspections confirming equipment
compliance with the requirements defined by ITER, the
handling and follow-up of deviations and the archival
and accessibility of documents.
Significant efforts in project organisation and the
adoption of a safety culture have on the whole been
made since the beginning of construction, but ASN
remains vigilant on these subjects, given the complex
international organisation of the project, as well as
on the requirements defined and their assimilation
by the outside contractors.
Owing to the fact that the project is on the whole behind
schedule (slippage in the design and construction
calendar) and to the experimental nature of the facility
(certain important demonstrations are based on the
results of innovative research, for which it is hard to
determine and anticipate the schedule), the licensee
announced significant delays in the transmission of
files and in particular for important elements such as
the detritiation system, the transfer casks, the tritium,
waste and hot cell buildings. These delays had no impact
on the safety of the facility and on 22nd October 2015,
ASN therefore modified the 12th November 2013
prescriptions regulating the design and construction
of the facility. ASN nonetheless expects the licensee
to make improvements concerning compliance with
the deadlines to which it is committed and will remain
particularly attentive to the quality of the demonstrations
and justifications produced.
3. THE OTHER NUCLEAR
INSTALLATIONS
3.1 Industrial ionisation installations
Irradiators sterilise medical devices, foodstuffs,
pharmaceutical raw materials, etc., by irradiating them
with gamma rays emitted from sealed cobalt-60 sources.
The irradiation cells are made from reinforced concrete,
designed to protect the environment. The sealed sources
are either placed in the lowered position, stored in a pool
under a thickness of water which protects the workers in
the cell, or are placed in the raised position to irradiate
the items to be sterilised. The main risk in these facilities
is irradiation of the personnel.
TheIonisosgroupoperatesthreeindustrialionisationfacilities
located in Dagneux (BNI 68), Pouzauges (BNI 146) and
Sablé-sur-Sarthe (BNI 154).ASNconsiders that the licensee
must continue its efforts to detect deviations and ensure
compliancewith the deadlines set for the handover of files
or requests for additional data. The three periodic safety
reviews for the Ionisos facilitiesmust be carriedout no later
than November 2017 and the licensee must also submit
a stress tests report by this same deadline. The file for the
first periodic safety reviewconcerning theSablé-sur-Sarthe
facility was transmitted on 30th June 2015 and is being
examined by ASN. In October 2015, ASN asked Ionisos
to update its decommissioning strategy for the parts of the
Dagneux facility that hadbeen shut down for several years.
Synergy Health operates the Gammaster (BNI 147)
irradiator in Marseille and the Gammatec (BNI 170)
on the Marcoule site, for which commissioning was
authorised on17thDecember 2013. Improvements are still
needed in terms of radiation protection and the results of
internal inspections must be written up in amore clearly
defined format. Amodification file for commissioning of
an internal laboratory was submitted to ASN in August
2015 and is currently being examined. ASN considers
that Gammaster operations have been improved. The
licensee has requalified the sources present on the site
and has revised its emergency response organisation,
which is satisfactory. It must continue efforts with regard
to the regulatorywatch and assimilation of the regulations
and must pay particular attention to the deadlines for
performance of its periodic inspections, especially those
required by the regulations.
450
CHAPTER 14:
NUCLEAR RESEARCH AND MISCELLANEOUS INDUSTRIAL FACILITIES
ASN report on the state of nuclear safety and radiation protection in France in 2015