East Midland Schools
Starting in 2007, a Midland County Council entered into a PFI contract with a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) to build and operate five Academies, two Post-16 centres and one Special Educational Needs School in the district. Through a separate agreement, this incorporated two leisure centres into the wider PFI scheme.
In 2017, Tenos were appointed to provide independent fire safety expert advice across the ten premises. The commission involved reviewing and validating the findings from previous surveys undertaken by other contractors and consultants to determine the validity of alleged fire safety defects and to provide an opinion on the overall fire safety condition of the buildings.
Tenos conducted site surveys to assess the condition and performance of passive and active fire protection measures. Technical assessments were carried out on a range of non-standard fire protection details, where supporting fire test evidence was unavailable or limited. The scope of works also included validation of remediation works undertaken to address identified defects.
Tenos also completed fire risk assessments to support the safe continued occupation of the buildings and developed prioritised action plans to assist the client in managing fire safety risks. In addition, Tenos provided expert witness support in relation to disputes arising from the identified fire safety issues.
How Tenos helped
Key Elements of the service
Legislative & Contractual Compliance Review
An audit of the applicable legislative and contractual fire safety requirements.
Independent Fire Safety Report Validation
A desktop peer review of the fire safety visual survey report assessing the validity of the findings and their alignment with appropriate benchmarks and standards.
Fire Protection & Compartmentation Surveys
Representative sample surveys were undertaken to inspect active and passive fire protection, compartmentation and external wall construction of the hospital.
Specialist Technical Fire Assessments
Technical assessments of non-standard fire safety details.
Works Completion Verification
Verification of all completed works.
Fire Risk Assessment
A comprehensive Fire Risk Assessment with Action Plan.
Added value provided to our client
Tenos provided independent fire safety advice to ensure resources were focused on genuine life-safety issues. Specialist fire engineering expertise was applied to complex and non-standard fire protection details, enabling informed decisions on remediation priorities. Fire risk assessments and ongoing advice supported the safe continued occupation of the buildings during remediation works, with surveys undertaken outside normal school hours to minimise disruption to educational activities.
