30 June 2011
Capita Symonds has completed a project for Derbyshire
Community Health Services to carry out fire safety surveys across
all its properties.
The project involved the surveying of 43
properties, including community hospitals and health centres,
analysing areas such as:
- Gas and electrical service points (the fire
service need to be aware of these point in the event of an
emergency);
- Fire control panels (these show the fire
service where a fire might be located);
- Escape routes in the event of an
emergency;
- Fire Alarm call points, detectors, and
emergency lighting;
- Fire compartmentalisation (illustrating the
ability of a wall or door to contain a fire for 30-60
minutes);
Peter Wearmouth explains: “NHS facilities
change their layout on a regular basis to accommodate service
changes so the team prepared fire drawings that will assist the
Trust and fire service in case of a serious fire.
Many of the previous fire drawings were over
ten years old and had been updated and amended in different ways
leaving them with ‘patchwork drawings’ to varying standards. Our
job was to redo all of the drawings to make them consistent,
accurate and all to the same British Standards as well as picking
up layout changes and service changes.
The aim was to provide the Trust with a
comprehensive and up to date record of all of their properties with
detailed fire related information which was compatible to AutoCAD
2008, as well as making it easier for external users to interpret
the drawings, such as the fire service in the event of a fire. It’s
also worth noting that part of our role has been to make the
drawings as user friendly as possible so that the Trust can edit
the drawings in line with future changes without losing consistency
and accuracy.”