The site at Bacton receives the United Kingdom’s supply of gas via undersea pipelines from Zeebrugge in Belgium and is monitored and patrolled by the Ministry of Defence because of the high risk category given to it.
Due to the live gas element of the works and the specific hazards associated with high pressure gas, non-odourised gas and excavations required to perform some of the work, we conducted extensive training for our team which included the supervisor attaining SCO 91 status, and all operatives attaining SHEA Gas certification. Included within our scope of works was any necessary scaffold access and to this end the 3 scaffold personnel were also required to hold SHEA Gas credentials.
All works are controlled under a permit to work system supplied by National Grid, and our personnel were inducted to site regulations by National Grid and Murphy Group personnel. Access to above ground level works are by a combination of low level scaffold erected, checked and dismantled by our approved subcontractor, and via mobile towers erected, checked and dismantled by Jack Tighe Ltd PASMA trained personnel. We supply mobile work shelters in modular design to encapsulate smaller working areas which control atmospheric contamination during blasting and spraying operations. They also protect the working area from adverse weather and improve the working environment.
Our team on site consists typically of 1 supervisor, 3 operatives and up to 3 scaffold operatives. All of our personnel, in addition to the site specific SCO and SHEA Gas accreditations, are also ICATS and PASMA trained. The work involved is the maintenance painting of all above ground gas feeder lines, valves, and also all areas that penetrate ground level (500 mm above and 500 mm below ground level).
The NG PA10 specification calls for:
In addition, the areas within 500 mm of ground penetration, both above and below, were treated with cold applied laminate Denso Protal 7300, paying particular attention to the manual for application, curing times and recommended dft readings.
All plant was required to be earthed and included an 825 cfm compressor, 100 kva generator, blast pots, spray pumps, clean air packs, decontamination unit, chemical storage unit, pressure washer, personnel gas monitors, task lighting and tented encapsulation.
Works completed during year 1 of this 3 year contract had a value of circa £330,000 and years 2 and 3 are expected to be valued at approximately £900,000 although this is dependent on availability and accessibility of future work areas.
