- Start date: 2013
- End date: ongoing
- Contract value: £1,000,000 approx.
- Sector: industrial
- Property types: power station
Battersea Power Station is a decommissioned coal-fired power station located on the south bank of the River Thames, in Nine Elms, Battersea, an inner-city district of South West London. It comprises two individual power stations, built in two stages in the form of a single building. The two stations were built to an identical design, providing the long-recognised four-chimney layout. The station ceased generating electricity in 1983, but over the past 50 years it has become one of the best-known landmarks in London and is Grade II* listed. The site is undergoing refurbishment and is one of the largest and most complex development programs being undertaken at the present time. The environment in which works take place is extremely high risk due to multiple hazards including electricity, working at height, confined spaces, and noise.
We were contracted to complete a full R&D Survey of all accessible areas of Battersea Power Station (BPS) commencing during December 2013. We have subsequently provided a complete range of Asbestos services since January 2014 and have acted as the sole Asbestos Consultant for one of the largest redevelopment projects in Europe. In June 2015 we began working directly for the principal contractor, Skanska. Works are carried out in phases and to Skanska’s programme based on priority. Life have continued to work as principle asbestos consultant on the project through two changes in principle contractor.
Upon completion of the initial surveying works to designated priority areas, evidence of remaining Asbestos materials and widespread residual asbestos materials in the form of residue/debris were identified. As a result of the initial findings and further surveying works, we were asked to provide full analytical services on site to cover a range of monitoring/inspection requirements. This included ongoing compliance monitoring and background monitoring to locations / individuals on site daily, four stage clearance works on a variety of notifiable materials and visual inspection procedures on notifiable non- licensed work issuing removal of non-licensed asbestos reports.
Life have provided analytical certification, survey reports and maintained updated plans throughout the project, which in turn have been uploaded to the site-specific LifeCSP/Aconex systems by our in-house Data Team following bespoke procedures designed and implemented for this contract.
The contract has a number of unique working environments, namely the surveying of the four chimneys. This involved working from within a man-cage that was suspended from the largest mobile crane in Europe, working at heights of over 60m. Surveying ceiling voids within the large Turbine Hall B involved working with Sandberg who attached harnesses via anchor points from the ceiling to enable access. Confined space works were required within Annexe A. This involved working with a 3-man rescue team to safely access the voids under a bespoke Risk Assessment and Method Statement.
Whilst undertaking the project, we allocated a dedicated site team including a Project Manager, Senior Analyst (SSSTS), Five Asbestos Analysts and a two Surveyors. Due to the scale and complexity of this project, we have an on-site UKAS accredited laboratory to facilitate the analysis of all samples within agreed timescales.
The work that we have undertaken (and continue to undertake) at Battersea Power Station demonstrates our ability to design and deliver Asbestos Consultancy services in the largest and most complex environments. Utilising Life online, the existing survey information has been presented to the client in a site specific zonal asbestos register. This has been utilised by Skanska’s site management and various subcontractors to allow viewing and interpretation of surveying information. Life have also provided UKATA asbestos awareness training and decontamination training to site operatives during the project.
Life, as part of the Asbestos program at Battersea Power Station, have been providing a range of Asbestos air monitoring. With agreement with the HSE we have been providing site wide reassurance air monitoring which has facilitated rapid progression of early excavation works and later demolition works. We have also been providing personal air monitoring on any asbestos related works including scaffolding, asbestos removal and controlled demolition. The key aspect of work has been visually inspections which are undertaken by an Asbestos Analyst; these comprise of checking areas after Asbestos removal has taken place and providing UKAS approved certification to allow reoccupation.
