Enforcement notices have been issued at the Hinkley Point C nuclear power plant project following the death of a worker in a construction traffic accident on 13 November.
The Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR) served three prohibition notices relating to specific activities involving vehicles and plant machinery at the Somerset site.
The notices were issued to the Nuclear New Build Generation Company (NNB GenCo HPC) and joint venture contractors Bouygues Travaux Publics SAS and Laing O’Rourke Construction Limited.
The notices were served in light of an inspection on 18 November, a few days following the fatality, and have not been appealed.
They were issued under the Health and Safety at Work Act, and secondary legislation including the Construction (Design & Management) Regulations 2015 and the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998.
Ongoing investigation
The ONR said it was unable to provide more detail about the notices or the ongoing investigation, but said it was working closely with Avon and Somerset Police leading the inquiry.
A Hinkley Point C spokesperson said: “We take safety issues very seriously and, as you would expect, remain compliant with our obligations.
“We continue to work closely with the ONR, as well as our trades union and contract partners with safety of people as our overriding priority and to enhance the high safety standards demanded by us across our construction site.”
In March last year the ONR served an improvement notice to Bouygues and Laing O’Rourke after a scaffold worker fell from height. In August, a large reinforcement panel fell and crushed a worker’s leg and he was rushed to hospital.
The £23bn power station being built on behalf of EDF Energy is due for completion in 2026.
