Inspectors issued four enforcement notices after pre-planned inspections over three days in November at the first reactor building site identified the potential for harm and risk of serious injury.

These were served on EDF client body NNB GenCo HPC and contractors Bouygues and Laing O’Rourke Construction, the joint venture partners in BYLOR JV. The fourth was issued to REEL UK which is installing complex handling systems at the site.

The firms have been given until the end of March to address the shortfalls in compliance and prevent reoccurrence.

Shane Turner, superintending inspector and head of safety regulation – Hinkley Point C, said: “The enforcement notices require these four organisations to make improvements in fire safety arrangements at the Hinkley Point C site.

“We will engage with each of them during the period of the enforcement notice to ensure positive progress is made.”

In the last few years fire crews have been called out to tackle two fires at Hinkley. In July 2022, a blaze broke out on scaffolding and resulted in some workers being evacuated from the site, while before that in September 2021 a fire broke out at a temporary building which was extinguished after 30 minutes.