Hinkley MEH contractors ordered to fix fire safety failings

The notices have been issued to members of the MEH alliance liable for mechanical, electrical, heating, air flow and air con works on the Somerset nuclear new construct: Altrad Babcock, Altrad Providers, Balfour Beatty Kilpatrick, Cavendish Nuclear and NG Bailey.

ONR carried out the inspection of the Unit 1 HF electrical constructing final December as a part of a centered overview of MEH hearth security preparations.

Inspectors discovered a sequence of serious shortfalls, together with the absence of an acceptable and adequate hearth danger evaluation, insufficient technique of escape with too few emergency exits for the variety of staff current, and a considerable build-up of flamable supplies in a staircase designated as an emergency escape route.

The enforcement motion requires all 5 companies to place improved preparations in place and embed them to handle the compliance failures and forestall a repeat.

Mahtab Khan, ONR’s head of regulation for EPR, mentioned hearth security was a authorized requirement and never optionally available.

“Fireplace security is a crucial a part of our regulatory exercise and isn’t optionally available – it’s a authorized requirement that protects lives,” Khan mentioned.

“We is not going to hesitate to take enforcement motion the place security requirements fall quick, and we count on all dutyholders to deal with hearth security with the urgency it calls for.

“Working alongside the principal contractor and MEH alliance, we now have made good progress in understanding the foundation causes of those shortfalls to make sure they’re addressed.”