Our client approached us to refurbish their external fire escape which had become in a state of disrepair. The fire escape extended to three storeys and was a substantial steel structure.

The steel structure had not been maintained over a good number of years and when our client took ownership of the premises, they had it inspected by an independent fire risk assessor who found several areas that could cause risk to anyone using the staircase. The metal had corroded at each platform staging level, the rust being to such an extent that it had become a trip hazard. The nose edgings were worn and had not been highlighted so that they too were a trip hazard. The whole structure had rust defects throughout. The emergency lighting was ineffective in that it did not comply with BS 5266-1:2016.

FAME Services surveyed the structure and recommended a total strip down of the staircase. The paint needed to be renewed. The side safety panels were made of pvc stiro board and was not fit for purpose; they also needed to be removed and replaced. The staging levels needed to have anti slip grit applied to improve traction and grip. The nose edgings needed renewing to a high visibility anti slip strip. The emergency lighting needed to be comprised of weatherproof units and provide enough light to comply with regulations.

To complete the project, a survey of the site was required by a specialist access equipment assessor to deal with the accessing the underside of the roof section. The correct equipment was chosen and our staff, who are IPAF trained used the equipment competently, after issuing RAMS to the clients on site Health and Safety manager. The paint work was rubbed down using steel brush heads on a grinding wheel or drill. Red oxide paint was applied as a base coat and allowed to dry. The topcoat, an industrial cladding paint, was matched to the red oxide colour that the client wanted. When this topcoat was applied the whole structure looked brand new. FAME Services took consultation from a steel supplier in relation to the strength of steel sheeting required for the side panelling and was recommended T6 aluminium plate 3mm thick. This material was very strong and would provide longevity due to it not corroding. On installing these panel, ours engineers used plastic washers on the coach bolts to prevent galvanic corrosion.