Executive summary
- Date(s) of inspection: November 2024
Aim of inspection
This inspection will focus on conventional health and safety and the arrangements implanted by the PC to monitor and supervise construction activities, including life fire safety.
It will include understanding of roles and responsibilities, as applicable to monitoring, effectiveness of activities and outcomes.
Subject(s) of inspection
- CDM 15 (Client / PD / PC duties) - Rating: Green
Key findings, inspector's opinions and reasons for judgement made
The inspection involved an overview of Sizewell C Limited's (SZC Ltd) arrangements, as Principal Contractor (PC), to monitor site activities, and a site tour of selected compounds within the Temporary Construction Area and Main Construction Area.
SZC Ltd has implemented a regime to oversee the site activities. SZC Ltd communicated its plans to further develop the arrangements including implementation of a Project Reporting System to capture all monitoring data from its own activities and those of the contractors, and a documented monthly assurance programme. SZC Ltd described its organisational learning arrangements for monitoring investigation progress, quality and close out of actions. It provided detail on resource planning for project. These were judged to be adequate, for this stage of the project, as they are under development.
SZC Ltd submitted a number of documents in advance and following the inspection. We noted some observations which were discussed with SZC Ltd. SZC Ltd indicated they are taking actions to improve the consistency and quality of the monitoring activities including providing training which will start in January 2025. In light of the current stage of the project, the observations noted are not being escalated but I expect improvements to be made to ensure the PC is adequately fulfilling its monitoring function as the project scales. This will be monitored as part of routine regulatory engagements.
A shortfall was identified relating to the suitability of the fire warning systems in some smaller compounds. An action was taken to review the fire risk assessments in these locations. This will be monitored as part of routine regulatory engagements.
Conclusion
The inspection resulted in a number of observations and one action as recorded below. These do not warrant formal regulatory action but progress will be monitored during normal regulatory activity. A further inspection on monitoring is recommended in the future when the scale of the project increases.