Healthcare Projects
Removal of Asbestos in Hospital Service Tunnels
Hot works & confined space in live environment
Service Type
Healthcare
Details
The asbestos removal project was an essential prerequisite to a £119 million Hospital refurbishment programme. It involved the removal of asbestos thermal insulation debris to all surfaces within service tunnels beneath the main hospital building. To add to the complexity of the project the conditions in the tunnel system were of a confined space nature with both heat and potentially harmful hospital gases creating a very real danger.
The key drivers in the running of the project were:
•Controlling the environment and the hazards it posed via a comprehensive risk assessment and applied controls
•Ensuring 'zero' disruption to the day to day hospital functionality Through a comprehensive risk assessment each hazard was assessed and controlled.
•Heat - A programme of heat sampling was undertaken to develop a map of 'hot spots' within the duct system.
The temperature of the environment was then managed via several methods including the introduction of cooled air and a hot works monitoring protocol and procedure.
•Confined space - All MSS personnel working on the project underwent occupational health' fitness to work' medical examinations. The team allocated to the project were all competent in the delivery and operation of confined space tasks, as a minimum each member of the team was City and Guilds Confined Space Level 2 trained. The site was constructed in such a way to ensure that there could be no interaction with hospital users.
Shift patterns were introduced to coincide with the times of least footfall and hospital usage. All transit and waste routes were implemented to ensure there was 'zero' interaction with hospital staff and patrons.
A site based MSS project manager, supervisor and site team consisting of fifteen licensed operatives successfully delivered the project inside the six month timescale and on budget.