Project Description
In light of an expansion at one of the plants of a large pharmaceutical company, the company contacted us for advisory services on safety and fire safety for the planning and construction of a new R&D structure. The structure included chemical and biological laboratories, offices, leisure areas and an underground parking. At the first stage, data collection was conducted, as well as studying the plans and analysis of the safety and fire safety requirements for the structure planning.
Throughout the project, co-ordinations were made with the project management’s professional referents and each consultant (electricity, ventilation, installation etc.) was given instructions adjusted to their own specialty with regard to safety and fire safety, which were consolidated into a document named “Safety Programme for Planning”.
The work put an emphasis on safety and specifically fire safety, and included reference to the subject of hazardous substances and the safety of the employee at the laboratories (“safety at work”), according to the standards and regulation in Israel. When no applicable Israeli legislation was found we based on American and European legislation.
After the plan was formulated, our schematics department worked on the plans received from the architects, in order to prepare the safety appendix (“accordion” in the jargon) that includes all of the safety components required according to the planning and construction law and the commissioner’s instructions.
The plans were submitted to the plans examination team at the Fire and Rescue Services, and with our advisory and handling the Fire and Rescue Services’ clearance for a construction permit was obtained. Our work had not ended there, as there is a long way to go from this point to having a complete and populated structure.
Throughout the construction process, we escorted the professionals and contractors. We checked that the consultants’ plans were in line with the safety requirements, provided answers to questions and solved conflicts that arose during construction. We conducted site visits (armed with helmets and safety boots) and witnessed how an emphasis was placed during construction on the safety components we had planned.
Our work included analysis of the policy for operation of vital systems in case of a fire (integration) according to Chief Firefighter Instruction 536, and in plain language what happens when the structure’s detection system is alerted: which systems should operate and which should deactivate in case of a detector alert and/or a fire incident.
At the end of construction, audits and top supervision visits were conducted to check the accordance of the execution with the approved plan in order to make the obtaining of the Form 4 (populating permit) more efficient and prompt. The structure is currently active, populated, working and continues its vital role in industry.
Clients:
Weizmann Institute of Science, Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd., Israeli Ministry of Defence, Sorek Nuclear Center, Tel-Aviv University, Baran Israel, Adama-Makhteshim, Haifa Chemicals South, Galil Engineering, Vichy Israel, Ahmsa, Denisra, Rinkam, Lycored, Materna, Arkia, Melisron, Waksman Guvrin Geva, MIS, Globus Max, H.G.M Engineering, Durban Investments, Unidress, Ciment, Sano, Osem.