BSEE


Familyowned construcon firm Beard, whose work include medical research facilies, special needs schools and MOD work, is connuing to operate on more than 90 per cent of its sites, despite the wave of closures that the industry has seen in response to the spread of Covid19.


This ensures that staff and subcontractors working on Beard sites are not exposed to unnecessary risk of infection. Additional safety measures include lengthening the working day and resequencing work to allow different workers to be on site at different times and minimise the need for contact.


B


Although operational capacity has been reduced to around 50 per cent by these measures, and by the enforced absence of workers, by implementing a thorough safety regime, Beard has ensured that it is able to continue working on as many sites as possible.


A key issue is the availability of building materials. Beard has engaged with industry leaders and trade bodies such as the


eard has fully


implemented the Site Operating Procedures drawn up by the Construction


Leadership Council.


Construction Products Association (CPA) and received assurances that materials are available. While some builders’ merchants have been forced to close, many are still trading and able to supply sites that remain open. Beard is also working with the CPA to identify specific supply bottlenecks and support industry- wide action where necessary to address these issues.


Mark Beard, chairman of Beard, commented: “The safety of all those working for us, and of the general public, is always our top priority. We are doing everything we can to ensure our sites are as safe as possible, and we will never put pressure on anybody to work on-site when they should be self-isolating. “We respect other firms’ decision to close sites, but the Government has given the industry a clear steer that it wants construction work to continue where possible. We are putting in every possible measure to follow this steer and continue to operate as many sites as we can.


THROUGH THE CRISIS


Beard runs 90% of sites to break ‘vicious circle’ of closures


“When sites close, that results in a fall in demand for materials, and builders’ merchants shutting their doors. This can lead to a vicious circle with more sites being forced to shut, due to a lack of demand for materials.


www.beardconstruction.co.uk


Sauter installs additional controls for new 50 bed, emergency Covid19 treatment ward


T


Sauter Automaon has risen to the challenge of the current circumstances and is supplying, installing and commissioning a new control panel, the associated electrical installaon and all associated peripheral controls and engineering for a new 50 bed, emergency ward at the Royal Albert and Edward Infirmary in Wigan.


28 BUILDING SERVICES & ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEER JUNE 2020


he hospital already had a site wide Sauter building management system (BMS), and approached the company at the start of the month about the possibility of incorporating this new ward into the existing system. The project is being led by the main contractor, The Darwin Group Ltd.


Ian Sherburn, national service projects sales manager at Sauter, said; "When we were approached


by the team at Wigan we were keen to do all that we could to help them deliver this new ward. Work on site started on April 4th and the ward should be open for the first patients on May 2nd. It has obviously helped that we were already familiar with the site and both our engineers and everyone else involved has certainly pulled together to make this vital facility a reality."


"The hard work, dedication and determination to make this project as success has been evident in every


single one of the contractors and engineers on site," said Paul Teasey, M&E Capital Design Officer for Wigan, Wrightington and Leigh Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. The teams are all working 24/7 to get this new modular facility up and running as soon as possible and Sauter's team has been no exception."


The new ward is of a modular construction that obviously requires full wiring installation in order to incorporate the controls into Sauter's main BMS control panel. Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh (WWL) Teaching Hospitals NHSTrust is an NHS Foundation Trust providing services in the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan, England. It was formed on 1 April 2001 by the merger of Wrightington Hospital NHS Trust and Wigan and Leigh Health Services NHS Trust, and became an NHS Foundation Trust in December 2008. The Darwin Group Ltd specialise in the fast track construction projects using sustainable modern methods of construction. Our typical project values range between £600,000 to over £10 million. It provides its clients with a truly unique turnkey service covering all elements of the design, planning and construction activities throughout all of the stages as defined within RIBA using our own in house team of directly employed designers, architects, town planners and construction professionals. This provides a swift, cost effective and seamless service to our clients.


“In response to the Government’s urgings to carry on working, to honour our commitments to clients, and to keep as many staff and subcontractors in productive work as possible, we are determined to do our bit to help turn the current vicious circle into a virtuous cycle.”


Read the latest at: www.bsee.co.uk


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40