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The notices have been issued to members of the MEH alliance responsible for mechanical, electrical, heating, ventilation and air conditioning works on the Somerset nuclear new build: Altrad Babcock, Altrad Services, Balfour Beatty Kilpatrick, Cavendish Nuclear and NG Bailey.<\/p>\n
ONR carried out the inspection of the Unit 1 HF electrical building last December as part of a focused review of MEH fire safety arrangements.<\/p>\n
Inspectors found a series of significant shortfalls, including the absence of a suitable and sufficient fire risk assessment, inadequate means of escape with too few emergency exits for the number of workers present, and a substantial build-up of combustible materials in a staircase designated as an emergency escape route.<\/p>\n
The enforcement action requires all five firms to put improved arrangements in place and embed them to address the compliance failures and prevent a repeat.<\/p>\n
Mahtab Khan, ONR\u2019s head of regulation for EPR, said fire safety was a legal requirement and not optional.<\/p>\n
\u201cFire safety is an important part of our regulatory activity and is not optional \u2013 it is a legal requirement that protects lives,\u201d Khan said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe will not hesitate to take enforcement action where safety standards fall short, and we expect all dutyholders to treat fire safety with the urgency it demands.<\/p>\n
\u201cWorking alongside the principal contractor and MEH alliance, we have made good progress in understanding the root causes of these shortfalls to ensure they are addressed.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n