Roddy Fraser, Operations Director for Summit Healthcare, the building owners, had specified the use of flame retardant decorative coatings for all the heavily trafficked corridors leading from the entrances to the wards in order to improve overall fire safety standards and bring the wall surfaces up to the highest fire safety rating of Class 0.
John Burns of Brannock Decorators put forward Crown Trade Timonox for the project and over the course of four months, he and his team applied 1000 litres of Timonox Acrylic Eggshell to all the areas of the hospital which might potentially be used as emergency escape routes for staff, patients and visitors in the event of a fire.
Roddy Fraser said: “We have a duty of care to minimise the risk of fire breaking out in our hospital which we take very seriously indeed. We also have to take whatever measures we can to slow down the spread of combustion if fire does take hold. By specifying flame retardant coatings for our wall and ceiling surfaces we can help to buy precious extra time for occupants of the building to escape safely.
“This is a very busy general hospital with A&E, elderly care, maternity and mental health facilities, in addition to almost 700 beds on the wards. Most of our patients are obviously vulnerable – elderly, sick, disabled or incapacitated in one way or another. If we ever had to evacuate any area of the hospital because of a fire, any extra time gained to help everyone get to a place of safety could save lives.”
Now that the decorators have packed away their dustsheets and ladders and the work is complete, Roddy Fraser is very satisfied with the finished results:
“Brannock Decorators have done a very professional job for us and have left the hospital corridors looking like new. Members of staff and patients alike have commented on the gleaming appearance of the interiors. As Timonox looks just like any other paint when it has been applied, they have no idea that they are also benefiting from an extra degree of protection, as well as from the very obvious visual improvements in their surroundings.”
Donald Ball, Akzo Nobel Specification Sales Manager said: “The Crown Trade Timonox range is one of the oldest and best known flame retardant systems available and can be specified with confidence as it meets both UK and European standards. We can offer a comprehensive range of finishes and, depending on the coating required, can supply Timonox in up to 700 different colours, which means that aesthetics and interior styling need never be compromised in the name of fire safety.”
He adds: “Wishaw Hospital is just one of a growing number of organisations within the healthcare sector that are now insisting on the use of flame retardant coatings in their premises. We are also seeing increasing demand in care homes, sheltered housing for the elderly and in many educational buildings.”
One of the clear drivers behind the recent increase in specifications for Crown Trade Timonox has been the introduction of the new Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order covering England and Wales, and the Fire (Scotland) Act: Part 3 for Scotland. This new legislation has defined the responsibilities of employers, building owners, occupiers and even specialised contractors and manufacturers for managing fire risk. The legislation applies to almost all non-domestic properties where people gather. Building fire safety is now essentially risk assessment led and this new approach has increased awareness of flame retardant coatings and the role they play in slowing down the spread of fire.
