Commentary on Sections Part 3: Nuclear Regulation Chapter 1: The ONR’s purposes Section 67: The ONR’s purposes
351.This sets out each of the ONR’s purposes, which the rest of the Chapter goes on to define. The ONR’s purposes recognise the different areas of ONR’s responsibility and, although each of the purposes cover broadly different areas of nuclear regulation, there are areas in which they are applicable to the same circumstances. For example, provision relating to access to parts of a nuclear site may be made from the perspective of nuclear security or safety.
352.There are five sets of purposes: those relating to nuclear safety, to nuclear site health and safety, to nuclear security, to nuclear safeguards and to the transport of radioactive materials. Section 78 (which sets out the ONR’s principal function) puts the ONR under an obligation to do whatever it considers appropriate for ONR’s purposes including assisting and encouraging others to further those purposes.
353.Some of these purposes cover areas that are currently covered by the purposes of the Health and Safety Executive, set out in section 1 of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. Where the Health and Safety Executive currently has functions and powers in relation to those areas covered by the ONR’s purposes it will cease to do so once these provisions come into force. The exception is in relation to the ONR’s nuclear site health and safety purposes where both the ONR and the Health and Safety Executive will have powers; however on nuclear sites ONR will be the regulator for this Act and the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974.