Access hatches and smoke vents supplied by Bilco (www.bilcouk.com)
have been installed at one of the largest centres of health science
and medical research in Europe.
Three roof access hatches that will act as smoke ventilators in the
event of a fire were delivered for roofing installation at the
Medical Research Council’s Laboratory of Molecular Biology at
Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge.
A new building to house the molecular biology laboratory is being
constructed on the Cambridge Bio-Medical Campus site and is due for
completion in 2012. Managed by the University of Cambridge, the site
is funded by organisations including Cambridge University Hospitals
NHS Foundation Trust, the Wellcome Trust, Cancer Research UK and the
Medical Research Council.
Suffolk-based Bilco supplied three REM units and associated
equipment to roofing contractor T R Freeman, part of the Kershaw
Group.
Neil Lyons, contracts manager at T R Freeman, said everything had
gone to plan with each of the roofing installations.
“We were supplied with three access hatches that also double up in
their application as smoke vents. We ordered them well in advance of
when we actually needed them on site. All three products were
brought in at the same time to save on delivery costs.
“They have been installed in three separate locations as there are
three roofing areas for the molecular biology laboratory. We used
tower cranes to install the hatches and ventilators over an area of
6,500 square metres.
“We were very satisfied with the delivery and the products
themselves.”
Over 90 per cent of all fire-related deaths are due to smoke
inhalation. With the automatic REM units in place on the laboratory
roof, if fire breaks out they will automatically open to a full 140
degrees to rapidly disperse heat, smoke and noxious gases.
The REM units, each measuring 1,000mm x 1,500mm, were supplied with
associated equipment including dedicated back-up control panels,
fireman’s switches and smoke detectors.
When smoke is detected the REM vents automatically raise to the fire
open position. The vents are operated by a fire control panel for
opening and closing which is triggered by smoke detectors or the
alarm being raised.
With Bilco REM hatch units the open area remains unobstructed which
allows easy access to the roof for essential maintenance – meeting
current legislation requirements EN12101-2 and BS5588.
Bilco also supplied T R Freeman with three LadderUp Safety Posts
which provide safety ladder access through roof access hatches. A
telescoping post attached to the top two rungs of a fixed ladder
provides a secure hand-hold. This enables entry and exit from an
opening in an upright and balanced position.
Bilco has established a reputation among architects, building
engineers, specifiers and the construction trades for product and
service excellence in providing the right access solution.
The company manufacturers and distributes a range of access doors
and hatches, smoke vents and other safety-related products to meet
specific customer requirements for construction and engineering
industries across the world.
“We were delighted to supply a range of products for this important
construction project at the Medical Research Council’s Laboratory of
Molecular Biology,” said James Fisher, Bilco UK/Europe general
manager.
“We have wide-ranging experience over many years of working with
clients to provide products to meet their specification, sometimes
supplying bespoke models tailored to their specific requirements.”
The installation of smoke vents reflects the increasing emphasis
being given to all aspects of design and safety by architects,
specifiers, building owners and regulatory authorities.
“We are pleased the units have been well received and installed,”
said James, “and that Bilco has met all the requirements for access
hatches and smoke vents for the laboratory roofing.”
Work in the laboratory focuses on understanding biological processes
at the molecular level. This knowledge is used to tackle specific
issues and investigations into human health and disease.
The new building is being constructed by BAM Construction and
replaces the existing laboratory after 50 years of use. The project
is being partly paid for from royalties from antibody-related work
at the laboratory.
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