NHS property services is both a landlord and service provider nationwide for NHS customers. With a portfolio of over 3,500 buildings, their properties operate as health centres, GP surgeries, offices, hospitals and hospital related properties. They required fire compartmentation surveys for approximately 100 NHS properties across London, the South West and the Midlands. We were recently appointed to perform these services, to include the provision of CAD drawing updates and fire line drawings, in order to support the compartmentation surveys.
What We Did
We began preparation of the contract by ensuring that all of our assessors underwent refresher training on manual handling and asbestos awareness. As many of the properties to be surveyed are tenanted by people with vulnerabilities, we provided code of conduct, safeguarding and customer care policies. Initially, the scope of the contract was compartmentation surveys only. During the mobilisation phase, we found that the majority of information, such as fire line and CAD drawings given by the client to support the compartmentation surveys, was either not as detailed as required or outdated and therefore inaccurate and unusable.
To update the information required considerable work and multiple site visits to lift it to the standards needed to complete the surveys. Furthermore, with the sensitive nature of some of the buildings, for example, sexual health clinics, we envisaged that access might prove difficult during working hours as not to disrupt the confidentiality and daily operation of these buildings.
Our Achievements
To begin the compartmentation surveys, we required accurate CAD and fire line drawings of the buildings. We visited the sites on multiple occasions to create new and up to date drawings which are now suitable for desktop review. Once the drawings had been completed, we began a pilot survey of the buildings. This allowed the surveyors to become familiar with the assessment structure and also allowed feedback and possible adjustment by the client.
The pilot surveys have been accepted by the client to be in line with their requirements and we have initiated the compartmentations surveys. In order to combat low access rates in buildings that required the utmost sensitivity and confidentiality, we liaised with the client to arrange out of hours surveys. This allows for the surveys to be completed within the tight time frame, whilst respecting the privacy of the units and its customers and without disrupting its daily operation. Using this approach, we fully expect to meet with the requirement of completing compartmentation surveys within the five month period.
