OSART follow-up report on Heysham 2 nuclear power plant: government response
Published 29 July 2026
© Crown copyright 2026
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This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/operational-safety-review-heysham-2-nuclear-power-station-follow-up-report/osart-follow-up-report-on-heysham-2-nuclear-power-plant-government-response
Publication of the International Atomic Energy Agency’s (IAEA) Operational Safety Review Team (OSART) Follow-Up Mission Report for Heysham 2 Nuclear Power Plant
From 26 to 30 January 2026, EDF Energy hosted an independent team of industry experts led by the IAEA to conduct a follow-up assessment of operational safety at Heysham 2 Nuclear Power Plant. This was a follow-up to the OSART mission that took place from the 2 to 19 October 2023, at the invitation of the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ).
An OSART mission is a peer review that aims to improve operational safety performance by objectively assessing the safety performance of a power plant, using the IAEA’s Safety Standards, and proposing recommendations for improvement and identification of good practice where appropriate. The purpose of a follow up mission is to review the progress made by the site in response to the OSART’s findings.
The UK government values OSART reviews highly, as they make a major contribution to identifying and spreading best practice amongst the international community.
The original OSART mission reviewed ten areas: Leadership and Management for Safety; Training and Qualification; Operations; Maintenance; Technical Support; Operating Experience Feedback; Radiation Protection; Chemistry; Emergency Preparedness & Response; and Accident Management.
Nine good practices were identified, which are defined as an outstanding and proven performance, activity or equipment in use that contributes directly to operational safety and good performance.
The Mission team also identified 19 issues, eight of these being recommendations, and 11 of these being suggestions to aid further improvement.
During the follow-up mission, in January 2026, all recommendations and 10 suggestions were assessed as either closed or having made satisfactory progress.
DESNZ welcomes the follow-up report of the IAEA and congratulates Heysham 2 on their progress in addressing the mission’s findings.
Read the Heysham OSART follow-up report.
See further information about OSART missions on the IAEA Website.