William Harvey Hospital Fire Protection Works

Location: Ashford

Client: East Kent Hospitals NHS University Foundation Trust

Value: £700,000

With works carried out at the height of the Coronavirus pandemic within the region’s main hospital for COVID-19 care, the Jenner General Works team have worked tirelessly around-the-clock to deliver essential firestopping and improvement works at the William Harvey Hospital in Ashford, Kent.

Working in an incredibly sensitive and high-risk environment in close proximity to COVID-19 patients, safe working procedures were paramount to ensure the safety and wellbeing of our entire workforce. A logistically challenging project that has ultimately required additional night-working, stringent programming and phasing or works whilst always working with the utmost care and consideration to ensure patient privacy and so that the staff could continue to work without interruption.

The works were carried out in two phases across a number of wards and departments including critical care and emergency response zones.

Phase one involved firestopping works to the first and second floor corridor areas with initial surveying fundamental to identify any dangerous cabling in order to reduce risk and keep everyone safe. Once all areas were made safe and resurveyed the team carried out firestopping to all party walls, cable penetrations and ducting to provide fire compartmentation.

The second phase of works focused on replacement of fire doors on the first and second corridors with 57 doors in total replaced throughout high footfall areas that included the neonatal and delivery wards, operating theatres, high dependency wards and MRI and X-Ray departments. With the majority of doors being automated an electrician was required in continuous attendance with most of the doors being replaced and tested during night shifts. All doors had to be inspected and signed-off prior to installation of Architraves to complete the works.

Working within such a senstive environment the professionalism of our team was imperative to ensure respect for all hospital workers and users and as such a local and trusted supply chain was engaged to work with us to deliver the works.

Works are programmed for handover at the beginning of July.