Hinkley Point C contractors granted extension to meet safety notices

The Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR) has granted a three-month extension to contractors at the Hinkley Point C nuclear power station to comply with legal improvement notices. The notices were issued to Bouygues Travaux Publics SAS and Laing O’Rourke Delivery Ltd, operating as the BYLOR joint venture, following a June incident where a worker was seriously injured by a falling formwork panel.

The ONR stated that the extension, which runs until September 14, is intended to allow the joint venture more time to demonstrate full compliance with safety requirements. The regulator noted that while the companies failed to ensure construction work was planned and monitored to mitigate health and safety risks, there was no risk to nuclear safety, the public, or the environment.

Both firms are currently facing separate prosecutions related to other safety incidents in 2022, including a worker injury in August and a fatality involving a site supervisor later that year.