Overview
Kier Construction appointed Global HSE Group to provide independent fire scrutineering across a number of live construction projects, including Oak Academy Secondary School and Winchester Sports & Leisure Centre.
The role was to give Kier and its project teams clear, independent assurance that passive fire protection measures were being designed, coordinated and installed correctly during construction. This included reviewing passive fire protection, fire stopping, compartmentation, fire doors, glazed screens and service penetrations against the approved fire strategy, Building Regulations and tested manufacturer guidance.
Fire safety issues are much easier to resolve while walls, ceilings and service routes are still accessible. Once a project reaches the later stages of construction, the same issues can become slower, more disruptive and more expensive to put right. Global’s role was to help identify concerns early, support better coordination between trades and reduce the risk of non-compliant installations being hidden within the finished building.
Key Services Delivered:
Challenges and Obstacles
Kier’s projects often involved multiple contractors working across different stages of construction. Fire stopping, dry lining, M&E installations, fire doors and internal compartmentation all needed to align with the approved fire strategy and relevant manufacturer tested details. Design changes, product substitutions and variations in workmanship add further complexity across large-scale construction programmes.
On large construction projects, issues can easily become fragmented between different trades. Without independent scrutiny, there is a risk that small installation issues are missed until later in the programme, when they are more difficult and costly to resolve.
Project Highlights
Global’s fire scrutineering services provided Kier with greater visibility of fire safety compliance during construction, helping to ensure passive fire protection measures were installed in accordance with approved designs and tested manufacturer guidance.
Potential issues were identified and communicated early, supporting better coordination between trades and helping to improve the quality of installations before areas were completed or concealed.
The independent review process helped Kier reduce the risk of non-compliant fire safety installations, avoid unnecessary late-stage remedial activity and maintain stronger evidence of compliance throughout the construction phase. This provided Kier and its clients with the confidence that fire safety requirements were being effectively managed from construction through to completion.
