TWO volunteers from Burnham-on-Sea RNLI visited a key part of the Hinkley C construction plans to advise on safety issues ahead of the development.

Chairman of Burnham-on-Sea RNLI Ashley Edwards and Matt Davies, lifeboat operations manager, visited the Fugro F1200 jack-up barge, currently berthed in Avonmouth, to offer safety tips ahead of construction.

The barge will be used to ferry building materials to the site, with a temporary jetty set up in Bridgwater Bay during construction.

Mr Edwards and Mr Davies were invited by Fugro’s health safety and environmental adviser Pat Haines, who is heavily involved in the project, before being taken on a tour of the F1200 and where it is berthed.

Mr Davies said: “It is important for the RNLI to liaise with marine initiatives in our immediate area.

“We thank Billy Graham for the knowledge shared by his management team, which will prove most useful in the event of ‎any future emergency.”

During the visit, discussions were held around the handling of potential incident scenarios and the RNLI support that could be provided if it was tasked by HM Coastguard to assist in the event of an emergency during the jetty’s construction.

On the day, Mr Davies invited Mr Haines and his colleagues to visit the lifeboat station and meet the crew.

Just two weeks later Mr Haines and four HPC team members from EDF Energy attended the lifeboat station on November 24.

The lifeboat crew described the station’s area of operation and gave an introduction to both lifeboats and equipment they have available in the event of an emergency.

This was followed by a visit to the lifeboat launch point and a discussion around the station’s ability to launch at any time of day or night and at all states of tidal height.

Mr Haines then took the RNLI volunteers through a detailed pictorial presentation explaining the size and dimensions of the barges and the marine transportation activities from the supply vessels and crew transfer arrangements.

The presentation was well received and thanks extended to Mr Haines for presenting the overview.

HPC Harbour Master – William Barker – then explained his roles and responsibilities and gave an update on the future marine works including; the temporary jetty cargo operation, sea wall construction, Combwich Wharf upgrade, and cooling water intake heads works