Fire Enforcement Notices served on Hinkley Point C contractors

Mechanical, electrical and heating (MEH) and ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) work is overseen by the MEH alliance and is made up of the following organisations who’ve been issued with the Enforcement Notices: Altrad Babcock Ltd, Altrad Services Ltd, Balfour Beatty Kilpatrick Ltd, Cavendish Nuclear and NG Bailey Ltd.  

The Unit 1 HF (electrical) building was inspected in December last year as part of a targeted inspection to assess the MEH fire safety arrangements for compliance with the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005.

Office for Nuclear Regulation inspectors identified several significant shortfalls including the absence of a suitable and sufficient fire risk assessment, inadequate means of escape (resulting in insufficient emergency exits being available for the numbers of people working in the building) and a significant accumulation of combustible materials within a staircase designated for use as an emergency exit route.

The enforcement action requires the named organisations to make improvements to ensure adequate arrangements are developed and embedded to address the shortfalls in compliance and prevent reoccurrence.

Legal requirement

Mahtab Khan, head of regulation (EPR) at the Office for Nuclear Regulation, said: “Fire safety is an important part of our regulatory activity and is not optional. It’s a legal requirement that protects lives. We will not hesitate to take enforcement action where safety standards fall short and expect all duty holders to treat fire safety with the urgency it demands.”

Khan added: “Working alongside the principal contractor and the MEH alliance, we have made good progress in understanding the root causes of these shortfalls to ensure they are addressed.”

There were no consequences to employees, members of the public or the environment as a result of the shortfalls. However, the Office for Nuclear Regulation identified the potential for harm and risk of serious injury, which required regulatory action.