Intumescent gaskets fitted in already existing recessed electric boxes within Pembury Hospital.

PRODUCT 30 INTUMESCENT GASKETS  – TUNBRIDGE WELLS HOSPITAL AT PEMBURY

Tunbridge Wells Hospital at Pembury is a large hospital functioning 24 hours a day and 364 days a year. It was built to a completion date in September 2011 and was then handed over for fully functional use. Pembury hospital undertook a fire inspection in 2017 where some areas did not meet the correct requirements, Envirograf has been working closely with the Electrical Contracting firm Gilbert and Stamper, based in the local town of Tonbridge, to overcome the fire protection problems where they did not have any Intumescent gaskets fitted to their recessed boxes to meet (BS/EN 1364/1 2015) This meant fitting gaskets in all recessed electrical boxes to separate wards within this hospital. If the staff require additional Electrical outlets for more life-saving equipment to be installed, it is a necessity to protect them from fire. With this in mind, and with the ever-changing size of wards and the appetite to lose single room occupancy in order to create more bed space to cope with the demands of the local population, the trust brought in this electrical contractor to carry out the works including the fire protection of compartmental walls. Gilbert and Stamper required a fire-rated system that would be fitted and certificated to suffice the trusts needs, so they contacted Envirograf for their assistance.

Envirograf manufactures the largest range of passive fire protection products in the world. We are frequently asked to accompany contractors to site in order to advise and recommend products that will best suit, solving the problems contractors face with many fire-related issues when providing remedial works and finding that they also have to fire rate compartments of which they are making amendments to. In this piece of case-study, we are looking at a public building that thousands of members of the public have the need to visit on a daily basis.

After recognising the problem in hand, Envirograf specified their fire-rated Intumescent Gaskets.

Two types, for either dry lined or metal back boxes, recessed into the wall. These products are designed and tested for both single and double ganged sockets as shown in the photos. This product had to meet the integrity of the substrate, however standardly is tested to 90 minutes, so exceeds the desired time. The product works by expanding at the temperature of 120 degrees and fills the box to not allow flames to penetrate plastic cabling or the void behind the recessed box after melting/sagging.

18th Edition of IEE Wiring Regulations states:

“Where cables, conduits, ducts, trunking, or other items of wiring systems pass through walls, floors, roofs, or ceilings of a building, or any part of the hole that is left around the material, shall be made good to the same degree of fire resistance as that required for the element being passed through. Additionally, internal barriers that give the same degree of fire resistance shall be installed in conduits, trunking, ducting, bus bars, and bus bar trunking, where the walls, floors, ceilings, and roofs have specified fire resistance.”

Adrian Cross, Managing Director of Gilbert and Stamper commented on his companies relationship with Envirograf and the carrying out of the work, and he said, “you’ve got to be impressed by the energy and enthusiasm of Envirograf and its managing director, who’s willingness to be so helpful and obliging with me and my fellow employees. The range of products is incredible and they have many solutions for fire protection, their training was second to none and I would give 100% recommendation.’’ Gilbert and Stamper have purchased over 700 gaskets from Envirograf and are constantly in touch with Envirograf’s Technical department to provide updates and purchased more products.

PRODUCTS USED

Intumescent fire protection gaskets range

GET IN TOUCH

If you have recently incorporated any of our ENVIROGRAF® passive fire products, share your storey with us via our contact page