News letter from Phil Stone at Setsquare Recruitment Ltd

 

Hinkley Point

 

September 2011

 

After many months of watching and waiting,it seems that with the recent stage of planning consents being passed, there is cause for great optimism for the development of the 2 no. European Pressurised water Reactors (EPR) at Hinkley Point C , Nr. Bridgwater in Somerset. Although this is not the final obstacle to overcome before commencement, this has generally been seen as the point at which all the interested parties can confidently start to make advances in readiness for the project. Good news in the tough construction market.

 

Given Setsquare's Head office location in Taunton, Somerset we have taken a keen interest in the project, which will be one of the largest Construction projects ever seen in Somerset. We have attended many of the related events and spoken to contractors, candidates as well as EDF themselves, to get an understanding of the contract and what it will mean for construction in the South West. As a result many interested parties have contacted us wanting to know what's happening? The purpose of this newsletter is therefore to summarise where the contract is currently and what's ahead? What training and security requirements will be needed for all workers wishing to work on site and how to go about attaining these tickets and clearances.

 

As with all projects of this size and complexity, further information will be released over the coming months and details become clearer. I will therefore endeavour to forward updates on developments as and when significant milestones occur, however should you have any particular queries on the progress of the project, contact us either by telephone or email. If you are aware of anyone who is interested in working on the project, please forward this information and contact us, in order that we can add onto the mailing list for future editions. This newsletter, along with any subsequent updates and of course any relevant jobs, will be held on our website www.setsquare.uk.com. Similarly should you wish to be considered for specific vacancies as they occur, send your curriculum vitae along with covering letter to the email address above.

 

So firstly some facts about the project:-   Project value in the region of £10 billion, similar in size to the Olympic Park. Anticipated project duration approx. 6 years with numbers of workers required over course of the job likely to run into tens of thousands. Rebar required is equivalent to 22 Eifel Towers. Excavation four times volume of Wembley Stadium. More concrete will be needed than was used to construct the Empire State Building.

 

This is clearly a vast job, but simply the first phase of a planned Nuclear roll out strategy which will see continued nuclear power station construction well into the next decade. Major site construction works are due to start in earnest next year with the commencement of the £100m infrastructure package. During communication with the EDF and the main contractors it has become clear that any person wishing to work on this site will need to have certification that is specific to Nuclear and Petro-Chem, and which you are unlikely to possess unless you have worked within either of these sectors recently. These initial requirements are CCNSG (Client/Contractor National Safety Group) certificate and Disclosure Scotland CRB Check.

 

 

 

The CCNSG certificate is compulsory for ALL workers wishing to work on the Hinkley Point ‘C’ Construction Project and is most similar to the CSCS card, although geared towards nuclear construction and other contracts of that nature . It comprises of a 2 day course, each day comprising of a morning and afternoon session and a test at the end of each session. The regional test centre for CCNSG is Bridgwater College.  Total cost is £175.00 which includes lunch on both days.  The first £75.00 of the fee must be paid as a minimum upon booking with any balance paid on the day. Regular courses are available, although they are now fully booked until November. We would urge anybody interested in securing a position as early as possible on the project to get booked up on this course. Although this certificate is not a guarantee of a job, we are being told by companies already on site that it will give any potential candidates a big advantage over others and shows a commitment to the works which will be considered. For further assistance and information on booking please call me on the numbers below.

 

  

 

The second compulsory element is a Disclosure Scotland CRB check. Disclosure Scotland is the ONLY company recognised by EDF for CRB checks on this site. The basic check is sufficient to satisfy their requirements and the cost is £25.00, full details are available on the link.   www.disclosurescotland.co.uk .

 

Once you have the documents above you are then in a position to be considered for work on the site and offered an assignment. Once a position is offered, before commencement on site a further EDF induction must be attended and you will be required to complete a site security questionnaire to obtain a security pass. There are clearly hoops to jump through however, once done, this will give opportunities of employment continuity for years to come.

 

I will be doing the CCNSG course myself shortly and so should be able to give more information once completed.  I hope the information is of use and if there is anything further that I have not covered I would be happy to discuss it with you.