Optimum Fire Stopping win ASFP Installation Project of 2021

Last year we experienced another year of uncertainty within the construction industry. With both COVID and Brexit exacerbating material availability and putting unprecedented strain on our supply chain. However, we are delighted to have navigated through the turbulence of 2021 and ended the year on a high, and are very proud to announce that the Optimum Fire Stopping team won Best Installation Project of the Year for their contribution to The Grange University Hospital (SCCC) project in Llanfrechfa, Wales.

We have been members of the Association for Specialist Fire Protection for a few years now and it is an honour to have won such a prestigious award. The ASFP is dedicated to the protection of life, property, the environment and our heritage and promotes continuous improvement in all aspects of passive fire protection. Working with Government and international standard-setting bodies both directly, and via other sector group associations, they endeavour to increase the quality of installed fire protection within all forms of construction.

Our Managing Director Simon Britton had this to say on picking up the award

“Firstly, I would like to thank ASFP for recognising our achievement. We are extremely honoured to have received such a significant award, as voted for by our revered colleagues at the ASFP. I am extremely proud of our team, headed up by our Firestopping Manager Chris Fitzpatrick, for successfully delivering a highly complex project at The Grange University Hospital. I would also like to thank our client, Laing O Rourke, for trusting us with such a prominent project, particularly with the fire prevention industry under intense scrutiny in recent years.

Thank you for recognizing our determination to successfully overcome the challenges this project presented. It was great to be a key part of a truly collaborative team and even more satisfying to be awarded the Project installation of the Year for our contribution. “

The award-winning project, for Laing O’Rourke, was a newly constructed £350 million 471-bed hospital providing complex specialist and critical care treatment for over 600,000 people in South-East Wales, and included a 24-hour acute assessment unit and emergency department. OFS worked in partnership with specialist suppliers such as Rockwool and Hilti to provide high-level fire protection throughout the project. Acoustic batt penetrations ensured that the appropriate decibel range was achieved in all rooms, all of which varied depending on individual privacy specifications.

The COVID-19 pandemic has and continues, to put extreme pressure on the UK and subsequent healthcare services The Aneurin Bevin Health Board sought immediate assistance from Laing O’Rourke and their supply chain to open this hospital even earlier than originally scheduled. The SCCC hospital had the potential to play a significant part in assisting the Welsh government in their response to the pandemic and Optimum were eager to assist. Our incredible team of fire stoppers, unprecedented in their numbers, were required to work over and beyond a normal working week, often on-site Saturday and Sunday on top of double shifts and it was this collaborative effort and dedication from the team which delivered such an important ward well ahead of time.

Client Laing O’Rourke’s Project Director, Mike Lewis had this to say about our Fire Stopping team “It is a pleasure working with such a professional dedicated forward-thinking company who are solutions-focused whilst supporting the client (NHS) in achieving their goals”

Some key project statistics were:

25,000 passive fire penetration seals
22,000 acoustic seals
7,000 linear meters of cavity barriers
45 accredited installers
5 on-site supervisors & 4-man strong management team
£1.2m project value
Project duration of 14 months
Early project delivery/handover (how many months?) to open hospital wings early to aid pandemic efforts

The fire industry is constantly having to adapt to necessary reforms, the introduction of the Fire Safety Act 2021, the official unveiling of PAS9980 as well as the passage of the Building Safety Bill all announced last year. The focus on passive fire protection and safety on all new and existing buildings has never been greater and continues to be one of Optimum’s biggest strategic priorities across the business

Want to find out more about OFS, have an introductory call or discuss an upcoming project? Get in touch on: firestopping@optimumgrp.co.uk. Stay up to date with our Fire Stopping team, in what’s shaping up to be an exciting year by following our showcase LinkedIn page.