The Office for Nuclear Regulation has served the notices following concerns raised at the Somerset construction site.

The notices relate to mechanical, electrical and heating and ventilation and air conditioning work overseen by the MEH alliance. The organisations issued with Enforcement Notices are 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 as part of a targeted inspection assessing MEH fire safety arrangements for compliance with the Regulatory Reform Fire Safety Order 2005.

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 for the number of people working in the building, and a significant accumulation of combustible materials within a staircase designated as an emergency exit route.

The enforcement action requires the named organisations to develop and embed adequate arrangements to address the compliance shortfalls and prevent reoccurrence.

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.

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