Asbestos Removal
Overview
Over a 2-month period in 2019, Shield undertook work for Windermere Lake Cruises, to remove notifiable asbestos material from the engine room of one of their boats – MV Teal. The Teal is a three deck design, and at full capacity can hold up to 533 passengers.
The removal works were required, so that planned maintenance and upgrading works could be carried out within the engine room by the client’s own engineers. It was imperative that the engines and associated systems were not damaged during the removal works. Therefore, to mitigate the risk of any unintentional damage whilst still adhering to the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012, the engines were fully boxed out using ¾’’ply board to protect them.
An Abrasive blasting technique known as Quilling was used to remove all pre-identified asbestos insulation residues from both the ceiling and wall areas of the engine room. A specialist Quill Machine was required for these works, and prior to works commencing, Shield were required to obtain a Quilling permit, and our on-site operatives received specialist training for the use of the Quill Machine from Quill Falcon.
Windermere Lake Cruises remained fully operational during the works. Consequently, our on-site team had the added responsibility of managing other trade contractors and members of the public, who were within the immediate vicinity for the duration of our contracted works. To manage and mitigate any potential risks, Shield used industry standard hazard warning physical barriers and signs to control and manage the segregation from the public and other trade contractors. Additionally, a mobile Shield Services Group DCU and waste skips, were strategically placed within the Shield operational site compound. In addition to clearly identified transit and waste disposal routes, Shield adapted to working an out-of-hours shift pattern, as required, to avoid unnecessary interface with members of the public.
During the project, Shield maintained a high level of direct and proactive communication with the client, from the early planning stages through to full delivery of the project. Which in turn ensured that we completed our contracted works on programme, on budget, and with a satisfied client.
Client Testimonial
“Windermere Lake Cruises is the most popular visitor attraction in The Lake District and is constantly in the top five list of ‘paid for’ visitor attractions by VisitEngland, with 1.63 million passenger journeys annually.
The company offers scenic cruises throughout the year on Lake Windermere and operates 16 vessels, including 3 historic ‘steamers’, 4 traditional wooden launches and modern launches. The two largest vessels in the fleet are MV Swan and MV Teal and when asbestos was found it was critical that an effective and timely solution be found to remove it.
Shield began work on MV Teal and did such an excellent job, we invited them back to do MV Swan. We found the work to be of exceptional quality on both projects. Of particular note:
- The job was handled professionally and efficiently from start to finish. From when Dan (Contracts Manager) first visited the site to when the project was completed, communication was excellent which helped everything run smoothly.
- After Dan’s first visit, we had an arranged start date which was kept to with all consumables, plant and kit arriving on site on the planned days. The asbestos waste skip was also delivered when planned and was well maintained by the site staff throughout the project.
- The Shield Environmental staff on site were very respectable and approachable with housekeeping always being kept to a high standard.
- The site set up was professional and of very high quality, just as the removal works themselves were.
- The works were completed on the planned completion date with the site being left in immaculate condition. The job was finished within the set time frame and budget with no problems from start to finish”.
John Woodburn, Operations Director, Windermere Lake Cruises