Safevent window chosen for two new mental health units in Derbyshire

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We are pleased to announce that Britplas has been appointed to complete the window packages to two new mental health units in Derbyshire.

Working with Integrated Health Projects (IHP), the joint venture of Vinci Building and Sir Robert McAlpine, the new facilities are for adult acute care (AAU) and are located at the Kingsway Hospital in Derby and Chesterfield Royal Hospital.

Britplas will be supplying their multi award-winning Safevent® Access windows, which provide optimum security and safety as well as allowing natural ventilation and light and a high degree of service user control, in addition to doors and curtain walling.

Commissioned by Derbyshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, each facility will have 54 single, en-suite rooms, replacing the current male facilities in Derby and Chesterfield which have dormitory accommodation. The Derby scheme includes a 14-bed psychiatric intensive care unit (PICU).

Both projects are due on site this summer, with the facilities expected to open next year.

Fortress 80 Fencing wins a Building Better Healthcare Award

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Britplas Fortress 80 Fencing installed at Sowenna CAMHS Inpatient Unit, Bodmin, has won the award for the Best External Environment Project at the 2021 Building Better Healthcare Awards.

The BBH Awards celebrate the very best in the design and build of healthcare facilities across the UK. During a double celebration held at The Brewery in central London this week and attended by more than 600 guests, trophies were handed out across five classes for both the 2020 and 2021 competitions, after last year’s event was postponed as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Britplas anti-ligature Fortress 80 Fencing is widely used for securing mental health unit buildings, recreational and outdoor areas, providing total security and safety for patients and staff.

Supported on substantial posts and fixed with anti-tamper fixings, Fortress Fencing is ultra-strong, exceptionally secure and can be built up to heights of 5.2 metres. Its innovative cloaking allows for the overprinting of artwork or scenery which can be used to enhance therapeutic environments.

The Sowenna fence was installed in Q4 2020, with Britplas adopting Covid-secure working practices to carry out the project during the UK’s second period of lockdown.

“We are absolutely delighted with the finished Fortress 80 Fencing” explained Karyn Roberts, Business Support Officer at Sowenna. “Not only has it solved the fundamental problems with the old fence but it’s actually helped to create a much more pleasant environment for our service users.

“Feedback has been overwhelmingly positive, with visitors and patients regularly telling us how much better it looks, but we are also seeing a direct behavioural impact with markedly increased usage of the recreation area.

“We are all aware of the therapeutic impact of the natural environment and this fencing is a great way to bring the beauty of the outdoors into our facility whilst also, crucially, successfully solving a potential absconsion problem and minimising the ligature risk.”

For more details on the Sowenna fencing project please click here.

For more details on Fortress 80 Fencing please click here.

The complete list of BBH Award winners can be found here.

 

Britplas Fortress 80 Fencing at Sowenna CAMHS Unit

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Britplas Fortress 80 Fencing has been fitted to the outdoor area at the new Sowenna CAMHS Inpatient Unit in Bodmin.

 

Britplas were contacted in the middle of 2020 by Karyn Roberts, Business Support Officer at Sowenna. The unit, which opened in 2019, had been fitted with a wooden slatted external boundary fence which was already proving problematic, with patients able to climb the fence quite easily.

From internet research, Karyn had identified Britplas’ Fortress 80 Fencing as a possible suitable replacement product. Its anti-climb and anti-ligature properties were obviously a necessity but Karyn was also drawn to the option to print artwork onto the fence’s cloaking which she felt would significantly improve the outdoor recreation area as well as providing an opportunity to involve young people and give them a say on what the new fence would look like.

Anti-ligature Fortress 80 Fencing is widely used for securing mental health unit buildings, recreational and outdoor areas, providing total security and safety for patients and staff.

Supported on substantial posts and fixed with anti-tamper fixings, Fortress Fencing is ultra-strong, exceptionally secure and can be built up to heights of 5.2 metres.

Having settled on the Fortress 80 product, Karyn provided current inpatients with a choice of four different scenes for the new fence. The winning design featured a stretch of rocky coastline, a fitting reminder of the nearby Cornish coast. Karyn chose a bright RAF blue for the fence posts, in a nod to her RAF background, which further brightens the finished effect and reduces its impact.

The fence was installed in Q4 2020, with Britplas adopting Covid-secure working practices to carry out the project during the UK’s second period of lockdown.

“We are absolutely delighted with the finished Fortress 80 Fencing” explains Karyn. “Not only has it solved the fundamental problems with the old fence but it’s actually helped to create a much more pleasant environment for our service users.

“Feedback has been overwhelmingly positive, with visitors and patients regularly telling us how much better it looks, but we are also seeing a direct behavioural impact with markedly increased usage of the recreation area.

“We are all aware of the therapeutic impact of the natural environment and this fencing is a great way to bring the beauty of the outdoors into our facility whilst also, crucially, successfully solving a potential absconsion problem and minimising the ligature risk.

“Patients enjoyed being able to have a say on the choice of artwork and even something as simple as being able to specify a bright colour for the fence posts helps to transform the overall impact from something drab and negative and reminiscent of confinement to something positive and cheerful.

“From our first enquiry, Britplas have been great to deal with. The installation was smooth and well-managed and installers were well versed in the protocols and procedures necessary for working in live environments.”

Graham Garside, Sowenna Unit Manager, commented “the improved security of the recreation area means that we no longer need to closely observe the patients when they are outside and they can express themselves safely.

“I am overjoyed with the look of the fence, it is better than I had imagined it would be and during the installation, Britplas worked closely with us to ensure that the impact of the area being closed caused minimal disruption to our patients.”

Britplas launch new Multask handle for mental health environments

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Britplas have launched a new operating handle for their award-winning Safevent window. The Multask was launched at Design in Mental Health 2019 and replaces three separate pieces of hardware, bringing improvements in both functionality and aesthetics.

The Safevent window is designed specifically for mental health environments, providing safety and security whilst also allowing natural light and ventilation and a high degree of patient control. Up to now, the window controls have comprised a ‘wizzy winder’, patient thumb lock and staff lock. The new patented Multask handle provides the functionality of all three components within an anti-ligature, stainless steel shell that has passed all relevant industry tests for mental health environments.

The brand-new handle can be stopped at any point of being open or closed, giving both the service user and staff increased flexibility over both ventilation and privacy. The anti-tamper design of the staff lock greatly reduces the potential for damage and associated maintenance costs.

“The Multask was very well received at the recent Design in Mental Health exhibition” commented Britplas head of sales Neil Guest.

“Innovation is an important part of our culture at Britplas and the continuous improvement of our proprietary product range will always be a priority. We have completed the first window installations using the new hardware and feedback has been very positive..”

Bright Thinking leads to continuous development of products

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Since its inception in 2006, Britplas’ Safevent window for mental health has evolved through 8 models whilst the sill used has remained the same until recently.

With every detail of our proprietary window products under constant review, our dedicated research and development department has recently been focusing on improvements to the sill design of the Safevent. Key to the drainage efficiency and the overall aesthetics of the window, the development process has resulted in a new, mental health specific, Safevent variant with four brand new sill profiles for both internal and external sliding Safevents following a 6-month process.

By switching from face drained to bottom drained sills, we removed the need for press-in plastic drainage caps and minimised the chances of the drainage channel being blocked, creating a more efficient system.

 

The Britplas way

Bright Thinking is one of our core values at Britplas, and the continuous improvement of our products through the R&D department is key in Britplas maintaining this principle. The Safevent window, our flagship product for the mental health sector, is always under review. The new sill is the latest adaptation using our philosophy to ensure that clients have access to the best products and service possible

Britplas’ Research and Development Manager Steve McGuire explains more about this latest development:

 

How long did the process take?

The process took around 6 months – the new sills were designed in about a month. We then had to produce die drawings and source which thermal breaks would work best with the extrusions. Accurate die drawings were then sent out to 3 extruding companies for pricing. We then produced a cost comparison spreadsheet to compare all the extrusion costs including die costs. The next task was to look at rolling and painting costs from the powder coaters. This all took around 6 weeks.

The next stage involved ordering sample extrusion lengths for testing. Drainage test results for all four sill profiles were excellent, so we knew we had cracked the design. Production was ordered including extrusion, rolling and painting, and we prepared the product for internal launch including the creation of an ECN pack, issuing of Britplas part numbers and drawings for the sills and end caps, and full briefings held with our procurement, design, production and sales teams.

 

When was the Safevent mental health sill last altered?

The Safevent sill design has not altered significantly over the past six years.

 

What extra functionality has been added and why is this important in mental health?

By switching from face drained to bottom drained sills, we have been able to remove the press-in plastic drainage caps which service users could potentially break off the windows leaving unsightly slots in the face of the Safevent. There was also the possibility of blockage due to the path of the drainage through the frames.

By switching the drainage through the bottom of the frames, no slots are visible so there is no need for plastic drain covers any longer. This has also allowed us to extend the drainage slots through the frame to allow water to drain through the system much more quickly and effectively. This prevents any water from pooling in the frame.

Design to install service from Britplas

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The design phase is well underway for Milton Keynes’ new Blue Light Hub, and Britplas have recently constructed a sample section of the vertical façade in order to fully test and refine the glazing system.

The Blue Light Hub is a £14 million development which will create a state-of-the-art combined fire, police and ambulance centre. Its striking curved façade is due to be installed by Britplas towards the end of the year and includes Schüco FWS 50 curtain walling and Schüco AWS 65 windows and doors.

Andrew Harrison, Design Manager for the project commented “Due to the complexity of having vertically faceted mullions sat on a faceted curve the reasons behind the decision to produce a sample were twofold. We needed to provide the client with a full size sample, to allow them to see a realistic representation of their concept and allow us to provide a benchmark for the standard of the internal and external joints, the finish achievable and how the overall appearance of the screen will look using a PPC spandrel panel within the blue framework and clear glass.

Secondly, we needed to fully understand the fabrication and construction of the mullions, connection of the transom upon a faceted joint and complete a time and motion study to ensure our production program will meet site delivery requirements.”

Britplas also understood, from early collabration with the client Buckinghamshire Fire & Rescue, the importance of the panel colour reflecting the glazed areas along the shaped façade. The construction of a sample was the best way to ensure that these aesthetic requirements would be met.

The finished sample has also allowed us to develop and improve the mullion joints and transom connections and understand the drainage aspect for the mullions.

Safevent Access now available in uPVC

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2018 looks set to be another year of innovation for Britplas with our latest window model, the Safevent Access, now available in uPVC. Originally developed in aluminium, uPVC prototypes were developed and tested throughout 2017, and the new window is now finalised and in production. Working with our profile suppliers Eurocell, new dies have been cast to ensure that production capacity is able to match demand for the new Safevent Access. The product is already proving of interest to several of our key clients within the mental health sector.

The continuous development of the Safevent aims to ensure that our clients have the most comprehensive range of solutions available to choose from. The Access offers a high degree of flexibility for maintenance and ease of access whilst retaining industry leading levels of robustness and natural ventilation.

Since its inception in 2006, Britplas has supplied and fitted over 40,000 Safevent windows to facilities around the world. Please don’t hesitate to get in touch should you have any questions regarding this or any Britplas product, or if you would like to request a demonstration.

Continuous improvement for Britplas Fabrications

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Following another year of record sales, Britplas has modified the layout at its 42,000 square foot Warrington fabrication facility in order to further streamline its manufacturing operations and cope with increased demand going forward. The changes have been designed to help ensure continuous working lines for both aluminium and uPVC, with a newly consolidated façades area dealing with curtain walling and door orders.

The Britplas factory manufactures the company’s patented Safevent window, allowing for tight quality control of this specialist product, and is also now set up to deal with the various different product types and systems required by the wider commercial facades market.  A number of factory staff have been cross-trained, and supplemented with specialists brought in to ensure we remain at the forefront of manufacturing best practice.

The new modifications mean that lines can be adapted for free flow of product on any given day, with the following results already achieved:

  • Improved workflow
  • Adaptable workforce
  • Efficiencies expected to be plus 20%
  • Designated visitor route with information points
  • A safer environment to work in.

Further amendments will continue to be made as we look to adapt and optimise to keep providing the best service possible to our customers.

New version launched of Safevent anti-ligature window

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safevent accessBritplas has launched a new version of its award-winning Safevent anti-ligature window, the Safevent Access.

Retaining all the innovative features that have made the Safevent the number one window for mental health facilities such as an anti-ligature design, excellent natural ventilation and uncompromised security, the Safevent Access has an opening sash to allow for easier maintenance and increased flexibility.

The Safevent Access is available in aluminium with an internal or external sliding sash.

Contact us today to book a visit from our mobile demonstration unit to see the window in action.

Thames Lodge opens – the new medium secure unit at WLMHT

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This month saw the opening of Thames Lodge – the new 80 bed medium secure unit at St Bernard’s Hospital in London. The unit’s windows and glazing were supplied and fitted last year by Britplas and include an innovative curtain walling solution as well as our award-winning Safevent window.

Read our case study here.