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EDF and Doosan Babcock face prosecution for Hinkley accident

Britain’s Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR) has notified EDF Energy Nuclear Generation and Doosan Babcock of its intention to prosecute them over a health and safety matter.

The charge relates to an incident in April 2017 at Hinkley Point B that resulted in injury to a Doosan Babcock employee.

The ONR did not give details of the case, but it did say that the incident was a "conventional health and safety matter" and there was no radiological risk to workers or the public.

Proceedings are scheduled to commence at Bath Magistrates Court on 12 September 2018.

The ONR said it was unable to comment further on a matter that was the subject of active court proceedings.

The charges presumably relate to an incident when a Doosan Babcock employee cracked a vertebra after falling through a skylight while working on a roof in April 2017.

EDF said at the time that he was expected to make a full recovery.

The ONR served an improvement notice on the firms after an investigation into the incident, which the regulator said "revealed gaps in compliance of legal requirements by the licensee, EDF, and contractor Doosan Babcock".

Image: Hinkley B, completed in 1976 (Creative Commons)

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