Northamptonshire County Council - Replacement of Boilers and Associated Equipment

The Academy required a number of boilers to be replaced throughout its campus. The project needed to take place during the school summer holidays and was required to be fully commissioned and handed over within this time frame.

Upon award to J Tomlinson, the replacement boiler project was already running behind schedule and on a very tight programme. It required swift mobilisation and resourcing by our team in order for us to meet the client’s strict handover and completion date for the start of school term in September.

To ensure deadlines were met, J Tomlinson mobilised two teams to undertake the project instead of the planned one, with each team working in each plant room to optimise the time spent on site.

As the building was intermittently occupied by staff and visitors, we initiated regular communication with relevant staff and undertook careful planning ensuring site safety at all times. A hot water supply to the school was maintained via our self-contained temporary boiler rig.

Throughout the project clear communication was maintained on a daily basis with our Project Management Team (via our Site Supervisor), on-site trade’s people and the Academy’s Site Manager, ensuring all were involved and fully informed of the planned sequences of each installation operation. Our Site Supervisor was on site daily and acted as the principle point of contact for all site activities and queries from all representatives at the Academy, and at all times endeavoured to be available to provide advice to the client and site trades, ensuring that the site was effectively and safely managed.

Our daily communication included details on access, daily works and associated impacts, overlap of Academy undertakings, operational activities and any potential for nuisance, Academy activities and any particularly sensitive times and events.

We also utilised our integrated IT system to manage communications with our engineers effectively. We issued work instructions to operatives via their hand held PDA’s, when works were completed our engineers updated their PDA s, which automatically updated the off site management team.

We established safe access and egress routes for staff and the public, which was agreed with the representatives of Northamptonshire County Council and Academy management.

Our goal was to separate our activities from the client’s working activities. We established this through clear segregation between the works and the public area with clear signage and allocated pedestrian routes. We worked only within the designated work areas. We effectively managed the level of on-site parking, as well as planning and managing deliveries. Full inductions were undertaken for all trades and staff on site. Noise and dust was controlled and all works suitably assessed for this risk. We carefully managed trip hazards, with materials stored off-site and delivered as required, while tools and equipment were kept away from footfall areas.

The replacement boilers were fully functional in time for the start of the new school term in September 2013.

Project delivered on time and on budget, with a fast turnaround - the replacement boilers were fully functional in time for the start of the new school year.

Collaborated closely with the client – to provide minimal disruption.

Effective communication via all available channels including regular planned communication with the client and integrated IT systems.

Effective, detailed health and safety management of the site.