Hinkley Point C work to carry on but HS2 could be paused

Thousands of workers from across the country will continue to gather on the Hinkley Point C nuclear site – but work on the £106bn HS2 project could be halted – amid differing approaches in the construction industry to physical distancing aimed at containing the spread of Covid-19.

Some of the 4,000-strong workforce at Hinkley, Britain’s biggest construction project, have raised concerns over an outbreak of coronavirus at the Somerset site after the government shut down restaurants, pubs and schools to contain the outbreak elsewhere.

Around 1,500 workers helping to build Britain’s first new nuclear plant in decades live in temporary shared accommodation, either on the site or nearby, returning to their homes across the country at the end of each rota pattern.

Almost all the remaining staff use bus services from nearby train stations to travel to the site, raising fears that the close proximity of staff working on the project could allow the virus to spread within the workforce and across the country.

The company behind the project, EDF Energy, said on Monday that it plans to take “extra steps” to safeguard the health of workers on the site after workers raised concerns over crowded buses and close proximity of the workers in the local press.

One Hinkley Point worker reportedly told Somerset Live: “When we get to the site, we have to clock in for our shift and there’s 600 of us who clock in and out at the same time. At this point, there are no hand sanitiser dispensers so you cannot wash your hands. There are also areas where people touch. You don’t know what germs are being spread as a result.”

The company said it plans to conduct body temperature checks on all workers entering the site to check for a fever and has banned handshakes to help prevent the spread of Covid-19. It also agreed to provide extra buses to halve the number of people travelling in each vehicle so that they can be seated at least two metres apart.

Work on the HS2 high-speed rail project is continuing for now but a spokesperson said that may have to change.

“Over the course of this week and into next, we will be reviewing the majority of works on our construction sites in line with government advice on dealing with Covid-19.”

Other major construction projects such as Crossrail and two major hospitals that were delayed after the collapse of Carillion, have set out plans to prevent the spread of coronavirus and will remain open for now.

The National Federation of Builders (NFB) said Britain’s construction industry was in an “unenviable position” between safeguarding workers’ health and averting an industry collapse similar to the 2008 financial crisis.

Richard Beresford, chief executive of the NFB, said: “Our industry does not want to stop working. Until we are told by the government to down tools, we will be doing everything we can to support the safest possible working environment.”

The government is understood to be wary about imposing restrictions on the construction industry, which is a major driver for Britain’s economic growth, at a time when the economy risks slipping into recession.

The construction sector contributes £117bn to the UK economy, or 6% of the total economic output, according to government data. The sector is also responsible for 2.4 million jobs or 7% of all jobs in the UK.

The Hinkley Point project alone is expected to generate £200m of value for the south-west’s economy every year by contracting local businesses – almost £4bn over the life of the project.

Dan Dobson, a Unite member, said workers on sites across the country feared speaking out or turning their back on a job because they were self-employed and had limited employment rights or protections.

“Workers turned up at their sites this morning and expected to be told to go straight home. Instead, they were told it’s business as usual,” he said.

“The government needs to close the non-critical sites and extend the wage support scheme to the registered self-employed, and they need to take those actions immediately. Construction workers cannot afford to miss out.”