Case Studies

Retail

BHS Dundee - Wellgate Shopping Centre

Contract Value: £80,000.00
Duration: September 2018 to October 2018

Project Description

The Wellgate Shopping Centre is one of the two main shopping centres located in the city centre of Dundee. Comprising three floors, including a food court, the centre hosts a variety of retailers and eateries, situated adjacent to the Dundee Central Library Wellgate is considered to be Dundee's principal shopping mall.

British Homes Stores (BHS), previously, occupied a two-level store at the entrance of the mall and subsequent to rescinding their lease and the re-letting of the units to new vendors, Enviraz were invited to take part in a competitive tendering process for the removal and disposal of licensed asbestos products present within the store. The tender process was conducted by Life Environmental Services, acting as Project Manager on behalf of St James Place (UK) Plc. Enviraz successfully tendered for and were awarded the contract for the licensed asbestos removal works.

The works constituted the removal and disposal of sprayed coatings and over spray from walls, beams and ceilings, removal of AIB ceilings tiles and panels from walls, removal of associated debris and the encapsulation of AIB boards which required to remain in-situ as they formed part of the fabric of the building.

The most technical aspect of the contract was in relation to the removal of asbestos sprayed coating, which required to be completely removed from surfaces. In order to achieve this the Falcon Quill Precision Dustless Blasting System was utilised.

RESPONSIBILITY

Enviraz’ role throughout the project was that of principal contractor, with Whitecross Building Consultancy adopting the roll of Principal Designer and Life Environmental Services providing additional support in a project management role.

All works were completed in line with asbestos legislation, guidance and approved codes of practice with relevant air-testing regimes and strict reoccupation processes implemented throughout the duration of the contract.

The project duration was around 40 days with Enviraz working times onsite being 8am to 8pm to ensure the project was carried out in a timely manner. Throughout, Enviraz were aware of the sensitive environment we were operating within and made relevant changes to our working methods and practices to ensure minimum disruption and inconvenience to centre staff and visitors. Working closely with Centre Management we were able to implement a program of asbestos removal works and associated services while ensuring continuity of operation for the shopping centre. This included liaising with centre management to ensure access/egress and waste transfer routes were established and did not negatively impact the ongoing operations of the shopping centre. Enviraz also established a secure hoarding at the shopfront to ensure security of the live enclosures by providing a physical barrier to the works.

The Enviraz Service Delivery model places Client Satisfaction at its core and the buy in across our organisation enables us to regularly surpass our client’s expectations while our quality, environmental and safety management systems ensured works were carried out to the highest standard. By continually exceeding customers’ expectations Enviraz can maintain its market leading position as Scotland’s largest, independently owned licensed asbestos removal specialist.

INNOVATION

Enviraz strive to ensure our operatives are provided with premium plant, equipment and consumables, and this project was no exception as we utilised the latest Quill Falcon technology to successfully remove the asbestos sprayed coatings and related overspray.

The utilisation of the Quill Falcon Dustless Blasting Bystem is an innovative way to safely and comprehensively remove asbestos residue. This technique can be used where the asbestos-containing materials exists on any surface where it is not practical to clean by hand and only when it is deemed fibre release levels will not exceed control limits.

The system uses fine garnet grains mixed with water, to create an abrasive blend, which will remove even small remnants of asbestos residue from porous surfaces that would be impossible to completely clean using conventional tools.

Although the Falcon Quill System is an effective cleaning method, the use of the equipment, brings an array of hazards to the fore that require to be suitably managed by effective control measures prior to the systems’ use. These risks include excessive noise, vibration and contact with abrasive materials with were managed using specialist equipment sourced from one of approved supply chain members.

In addition, standard respiratory protective equipment is not suitable for use with the Falcon Quill System, and as a result, bespoke air fed breathing apparatus required to be sourced from an additional approved supplier. All onsite operatives required to be face-fit tested for the new respiratory equipment prior to its use with new, adapted respirators provided for all.

All site operatives participated in familiarisation training for the safe use of the equipment, highlighting both, safety protocols and troubleshooting exercises to ensure competence. All training was supplemented by in-house safety toolbox talks specifically designed for the Quill System.

The utilisation of the above safety systems ensured the effective operation of the equipment, and successful completion of the works to the client’s high specification.

Project Team

Enviraz Contracts Manager, John Miller was responsible for the successful delivery of the project. John has, almost, 20 years experience within the asbestos industry, both operational and managerial and is a key member of Enviraz Operations Team. John had overall responsibility for delivering the project on behalf of Enviraz and day to day tasks included management of the site staff, resource management, coordination with tradespeople and client liaison. Throughout the contract our Quantity Surveyor, John Kennedy, Health & Safety Officer, Jonathan Green, Compliance Officer, Tony Donnelly, and back office support team were available to provide additional support to all areas of the contract.

Our Senior Supervisor, Alan Ferguson, was our designated site contact for the works responsible for the day to day running and coordination of site activities. Barry Dougan, also a Supervisor, undertook direct management of works within the Asbestos enclosure and ensured operatives conducted operations methodically and safely.

All on-site operatives held the relevant certifications including Asbestos removal training relative to their position within the company, PASMA, IPAF, Red Box Wet Injection Systems, Falcon Quill Operators Training, CSCS and confined space entry systems.