HANEVO have been awarded the full design and build project to replace a large Air Handling Unit providing critical air movements to the Special Baby Care Unit (SCBU) at Epsom Hospital.  With the AHU having reached end of life, it requires replacement to current regulations to ensure full compliance with HTM criteria. The SCBU unit requires a decant during the works, to enabling intrusive duct cleaning and damper works in the department, for which HANEVO are working closely with the stakeholders to ensure suitable decant space is prepared and a seamless transition for these critical services can take place both before and on completion of the works. Design works have been progressed to the point where the AHU has now been ordered by the HANEVO team and extensive stakeholder liaison has taken place to ensure the full requirements of all users are accounted for in both the end product and the installation methodology. 

Works are complicated by the AHU being located beneath, and structurally supporting another large AHU that feeds the Maternity Unit and is to remain live throughout the works. As such a bespoke steel support structure is being installed to enable removal of the lower AHU for replacement without any need to isolate or shut down the Maternity Unit. As part of the works HANEVO are also ensuring upgraded fire compliance of the retained ductwork installation to meet the Trust’s current Fire Strategy. This includes the addition of fire dampers to the ductwork and extensive associated controls wiring and panel adaptions to ensure functionality.

Commenting on the award, HANEVO Construction Director Jozef Mountain stated “HANEVO have in no doubt been awarded this project in part due to the excellent work we have done with the Trust previously, and our proven ability to put the users and stakeholders first in everything we do. We are confident that by continuing our collaborative working practices with the Trust stakeholders we can ensure optimised service delivery for the SCBU unit and will not have any detrimental impact on the exemplary work the department does in caring for such precious life. We are also working closely with specialist partners to ensure optimum performance to HTM requirements and maintaining best value for public funds in the NHS”