Lightning Protection Systems

Many children have a natural fear of thunder; let’s face it, it can be quite scary. As we get older we learn about the cause of thunder and how destructive lightning really can be. Lessons that the people at the lightning protection system team at Churchill Specialist Contracting Ltd know all about. The harm that lightning can cause to people is very well known, we have all heard the horror stories; organ failure, blindness, deafness, neural damage, it even causes death in one third of cases. Builds and other structures are not immune to similar damage, and as in the case of human beings it can be prevented.

As health and safety issues become increasingly common in the work place, it is only right that companies follow OHSAS guidelines to ensure not only the well being of their employees, but also take a vested interest in the well being of their property and assets. Lightning can not only cause massive damage to the exterior of a build, it can wreak havoc with internal electrical systems. Computers and data storage devices can be destroyed, losing weeks, months or even years of important records and information which in itself can cost millions to replace.

It is important to understand the magnitude of the energy unleashed by lightning, often exceeding 100 million volts and 40’000 amperes. This power can create huge amounts of heat in water saturated, porous materials used in the construction of buildings, causing them to explode as the water content is flash boiled. The solution: to provide a low-resistance path for the lightning circuit. Churchill Specialist Contracting Ltd is staffed by time served and experienced engineers who are highly skilled in lightning protection and earthing systems, from design and testing to installation. They also offer an alternative to the conventional Faraday cage type installation, the Helita “Pulsar” ESE system of lightning protection that conforms to the requirements of a European code, the French code of practice NFC17-102. 1995.

Whether you have a contractual requirement to gain certification to OHSAS 18001, or one of the growing numbers of organisations looking to reduce the overall risks to the organisation and demonstrate good governance, there are a number of key benefits with implementing a certified OHS management system. These include:

• a structured approach to hazard identification and risk management which can contribute to the provision of a healthier and safer working environment and the avoidance of a high proportion of accidents and occupational health problems – this should help reduce lost time through employee illness and injury
• the management of health and safety becoming more transparent and effective by translating the outputs of risk assessment, audits, inspections, legal reviews and incident investigations into action plans to minimise the risk of accidents
• improved staff morale, potential reductions in liability claims and lower insurance premiums
• increased credibility from having an OHS management system independently assessed

In the world of contracting employing an organisation accredited to OHSAS 18001 provide unrivalled confidence that a business not only has safe systems of work in place it also takes very seriously it’s role and responsibilities in protecting the well being of it’s own employees together with those who have a potential to be affected by it’s undertakings.

In a world demanding a requirement for accreditations and compliance it is very easy for the value of OHSAS 18001 to be lost amongst a plethora of more easily available and less stringent and demanding alternatives, OHSAS 18001 has always been and will remain the pinnacle for all organisations serious about their health & safety & occupational health obligations.

As more organisations wake up to the value of OHSAS 18001 more emphasis will be placed on a requirement by blue chips to seek to employ accredited companies, as this spreads only then can the construction world benefit from reducing injury and fatalities which blights the sector.

Why compromise, employ an OHSAS 18001 accredited contractor and discover the future of contracting......

Chimney Inspections

The inspection of single flue industrial chimneys is regulated by the HSE document GS53 and the ATLAS guidance booklet that builds upon the HSE document GS53.

The self supporting single flue steel chimney has commonly been used for a period in excess of 35 years during which time many have seen a change over from serving coal to oil through to the modern day gas fired boilers. This change over in fuels has left its own legacy creating very corrosive environments, this coupled with the effects of the UK climate has led to a large number of this type of structures ultimately failing, hence the HSE Guidance Note GS 53 was published in 2001.

For multi flue industrial steel chimneys the inspection guidance issued for single flue steel chimneys does not apply, the inspection of a steel multi flue chimney i.e where the waste gases do not come into direct contact with the main supporting structure, is covered in Appendix A of BS 4076 :1989.

At present there is currently no inspection guidance for concrete or brick chimneys, however due to the harsh environments and processes related to their use it is prudent to regularly inspect concrete and brick chimneys to ensure they remain in a serviceable condition.

A chimney inspector must be able to prove competency and experience with a minimum preference of being industry qualified via the NVQ route.

Work at Height Hierarchy of Risk

Via risk assessment the use of a mewp to facilitate access to structures should always be the access method of choice particuarly for the completion of surveys.

In the uk truck mounted MEWPS can provide access up to working heights upwards of 70 metres.

During a recent meeting between the hse and the steeplejack federation ATLAS the hse voiced their concerns into the mindset of the steeplejack industry in relation to risk assessments for working at height and our industries continued insistance to survey structures using traditional ladders as apose to MEWPS.

Wherever it is practicable to do so Churchills always look to employ MEWPS for completing surveys of structures up to 70 metres, unfortunetly industry as a whole needs educating in relation to the Work at Height Regs it is only then that the additional cost for the use of MEWPS will become broadly accepted.

Money vs Safety

Can it really be true that in difficult financial times money men are potentially placing their employers at risk?

During the recent financial climate as an organisation who supply to many blue chip organisations, councils and government establishments throughout the UK it has been very disconcerting and somewhat alarming to witness the swing in the ethos of many in relation to the awarding of their contracts on a heavily cost weighted basis.

The steeplejack & lightning protection industry has taken huge strides in recent years to improve both it’s professionalism and quality of service within the construction sector, in the main this has been achieved by a change in the mindset of business owners with particular emphasis being placed on training and development and also a reduction in the amount of sub contractor labour otherwise known as ‘price work’.

All the hard work and gains made by many in our sector is now seriously under threat as the money men within awarding organisations look to cut costs by awarding contracts seemingly compromising on the level of training achievement and accreditation that is otherwise available.

The steeplejack sector in particular has long been an industry where little encouragement is required for those businesses less willing to train and achieve to take full advantage of such an opportunity, a fact that many of the long established steeplejack business will echo.
The outcome? - Sadly whilst those companies’s in our sector who have failed to invest in the development of their business benefit from an increase in activity those who have invested heavily in their business are left fighting a battle for contracts and as part of that battle face an uphill challenge in convincing the money men of the folly of their ways.

A tender recently received by Churchill’s issued by a UK council stated that the tender evaluation process would consist of 60% cost & 40% ability, in the world we live and in particular in our potentially high risk sector should the aforementioned ratios stated in the councils tender not require exchanging?

OHSAS 18001 2007

In theory the attainment of OHSAS 18001 2007 should serve to provide a springboard for any organisation to expand their market share via clearly being able to demonstrate to potential clients their proven and documented approach to health & safety in the work place.

However the sad truth is that organisations including blue chips fail to fully grasp the importance of such an accreditation and those that do are slow to promote a preference to working with companies who have achieved OHSAS 18001 2007 throughout their organisation.

This can be vey frustrating, listening on one hand to organisations promoting their values and approach to H&S but in reality experiencing their failings in ensuring companies holding such accreditations are actively promoted from within.

The most frustrating scenario is the one of familiarity, often large blue chips operate as satellites and the selection of a contractor can often be purely based on experience e.g having used a particular company for years.

Regardless of this Churchill Steeplejacks are still very proud to be the first Steeplejack company to be accredited to this standard.

Churchills go for OHSAS 18001

Churchill Steeplejacks (UK) Ltd are on course to be the first organisation operating in the steeplejack and lightning protection sector to obtain the coveted OHSAS 18001 Standard.

What is it?

OHSAS 18001 is the British recognised standard for occupational health and safety management. The standard can be adopted by any organisation wishing to implement a formal procedure to manage the risks associated with health and safety at work. The standard is designed to clarify an organisation's impact on health and safety issues, as well as to help reduce the risk of accidents and any breach in legal requirements.

The History of the OHSAS 18001 Standard

The OHSAS 18001 standard was developed to bridge the gap where no international standard existed for occupational health and safety. Development involved input from a number of leading bodies, including certifiers, trade bodies and expert consultancies.

The first version of the standard appeared in 1999 and was based on a number of existing standards (including BS8800:1996) that had been developed by the leading national certification bodies.

The current version of the standard is OHSAS 18001:2007. This supersedes OHSAS 18001:1999, which is to be phased out by July 2009. Thereafter it will no longer be recognised.

Despite not being an ISO standard (although it is currently in the process of being elevated to this level), OHSAS 18001 has been designed to be compatible with the ISO 9001 (Quality) and ISO 14001 (Environmental) standards, thus helping organisations to achieve an integrated management strategy.

The OHSAS 18001 standard specifies a number of key criterion for an organisation to demonstrate and includes:-

• Planning for hazard identification, risk assessment and risk control
• Structure and responsibility
• Training, awareness and competence
• Consultation and communication
• Operational control
• Emergency preparedness and response
• Performance measuring, monitoring and improvement

Benefits of an OHSAS 18001 System

Most organisations pursue OHSAS 18001 certification to qualify for a tender or to achieve preferred supplier status: e.g. for a Local Authority. However, there are many other benefits that can be gained, including:

• Reduced risk to employees, customers and suppliers
• Reduction in the costs associated with accidents at work
• Enhanced staff morale and motivation
• Demonstrate legal compliance
• Reduced insurance premiums
• Competitive advantage
• Enhance status

We can now demonstrate that our delivery is managed efficiently and responsibly, and that they can provide a reliable service free of the downtime associated with work-related accidents and incidents.

Concrete Chimney Demolition

The removal of 3no 60m steel flues from within the reinforced concrete windshield at the old Roche site in Welwyn Garden City was safely completed with the use of a 300 ton mobile crane.

The 3no flues were removed to facilitate the felling of the concrete windshield which was dismantled in a piece meal small fashion with all dismantled concrete falling to ground inside the chimney for retrieval at the base.

Churchills used their in-house crane capabilities utilising Crane Appointed persons and Competent Slinger banksman to complete this phase of the job

The demolition of the concrete windshield started week commencing 15th June using Churchills specialist demolition rig and concrete cutting methodology which has been employed to demolish 2975m of reinforced concrete chimneys with wall thicknesses ranging from 150mm to 400mm

The 60m reinforced concrete chimney at the old Roche site in Welywn Garden City was reduced by 40m in only 20 days, the base 20m will be demolished using a high reach machine.

The reinforced concrete wall with an average thickness of 200mm was demolished with total efficiency using Churchills tried and test concrete cutting methodology.

Photographs depicting the chimney prior to the installation of our demolition rig are shown below.

To view a list of similar contracts completed by Churchills please visit our web site and go to our Demolition & Dismantling page and click on the PDF download.

Churchills Accreditation

A total of ten Churchill Steeplejacks operatives have successfully achieved the SSSTS accreditation for site supervision.

This level of commitment to training will ensure that all Churchill sites will have the construction industry requirement in relation to on site supervision. Add to this the following minimum requirement for a Churchill Steeplejacks (UK) Ltd site based team and our clients have arguably one the most highly trained and qualified workforces at their disposal;

The following are all managed by a team consisting of two NEBOSH in construction departmental managers

SSSTS
CSCS Industry Gold Card
CCNSG Passport to Safety
Quarry Passport
NVQ Level 2 Steeplejack/Lightning Protection Engineers
NVQ Level 3 Advanced Steeplejack
IPAF
Confined Space Working
NDT Dye Penetrant Testing
Abrasive Wheels
Mobile Towers
Safety Harness Inspection
PAT Testing
LOLER Equipment Testing
Appointed Person
Asbestos Awareness
Rescue & Recovery at Height
Slinger/Banksman
First Aid
Safe Earth Testing
Safe Road Digging

Concrete Chimney Refurbishment

A 60k project to refurbish 2no 45m reinforced concrete chimneys at The University of East Anglia has been completed within program and within budget by Churchill Steeplejacks (UK) Ltd

The project was completed over a twelve week period with a three man team in attendance and included the replacement and repair of the capping arrangements, concrete repairs to each windshield, lightning protection upgrade and the application of a protective paint system.

A steel support framework was also installed around the summit of both chimneys to provide structural support to the upper regions of each windshield.

The cold weather conditions experienced during January and February 2009 delayed the application of the paint product which required temperatures of 5 degrees and rising, following the completion of the contract the chimney windshields will remain free of maintenance for at least the next seven year period.

Steel Chimney Emergency Callout

A steel chimney located at Eastwood Comprehensive School in Nottinghamshire fell victim of the strong winds that hit the county during the earlier hours 23rd March 2009.

Churchills received an emergency call out request from the school who feared the chimney was in imminent danger of falling over, Churchills dispatched a three man team to site together with a mobile crane and successfully dismantled the chimney just in time to preventing it falling into classrooms below.

Once the chimney had been successfully dismantled Churchills then set about arranging for the manufacturer and installation of a temporary smaller chimney section to be fitted to the remaining base section of the chimney to ensure the school could continue to provide hot water and therefore remain open.

From receiving the emergency call all of the aforementioned work was safely completed within a 12 hour period.

This was possible due to Churchills possessing in house Crane Appointed Persons who were able to plan and manage the lifting operations with minimum notice coupled with our fabrication capacity.

These photographs depict the chimney in it's precarious position upon our arrival to site.

The importance of the inspection and maintenance of this type of insulated steel chimney has been recognised by the Health & Safety Executive who together with the steeplejack federation A.T.L.A.S have issued guidance notes detailing a thorough inspection criteria. Unfortunately whilst this particular chimney had been regularly inspected it would appear that the inspector had not completed the survey in accordance with the aforementioned recommendations.

SPECIALISTS IN HIGH RISE DEMOLITION & STRUCTURAL MAINTENANCE

In 2004 Churchill Steeplejacks (UK) Ltd were awarded the contract to complete the external refurbishment of a115m tall concrete cooling tower at Ratcliffe On Soar Power station.

Following the successful completion of the contract that saw Churchills provide, install and maintain all motorised access cradles and complete the contract with no sub contract element the contract was extended for the following four year period to include 6 of the 8no cooling towers at Ratcliffe on Soar.

Each cooling tower project involved up to 12 operatives working on a tower at any one time from the motorised access platforms suspended from the summit of the tower

One of the biggest challenges faced was how to ensure safe access and egress for all operatives working on the tower together with ensuring systems for effectively rescuing and recovering operatives within a twelve minute period from any position on the tower were in place at all times. This was successfully achieved via the deployment of a full time rope access team positioned on the scaffold at the summit of the tower.

Over 56000 man hours were engaged and in excess of 5000 temporary anchor locations were installed to complete the six towers, all being completed within program, within budget and most importantly without incident.

Suspended Access Platforms in operation

Installation of access scaffold around the full circumference

Pectel Group in Administration

The Pectel Group formed in 1982 entered into administration 12th December 2008 becoming Churchill Steeplejacks (UK) Ltd largest debtor since the formation of the company in 1994.

On the day Churchills completed extensive decommissioning work to the disused 45m concrete boiler chimney at the University Hospital Birmingham administrators Zolfo Cooper of Manchester were called in.

Formed in 1982 as an asbestos removal firm the growth of the Pectel Group saw them include no fewer than 12 Limited companies at the time they entered into administration with over 250 employees nationwide.