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The following query was received by a Norac Member:
Recently we were asked to provide a fixed price quote for work in a hospital ward prior to refurbishment works. The following restrictions applied:
- The quotation submission shall include for the undertaking of surveys within normal working hours in a live ward which shall remain fully operational.
- The works shall include submission prior to survey of a written method statement/RA’s identifying proposals for management arrangements for undertaking of a Refurbishment & Demolition survey within a live environment ensuring no risk to patient, staffs and public and Health and Safety being paramount.
- The R & D surveys undertaken are to include local service/plant areas feeding services to the proposed area of works.
- Where access issues are identified by the surveyors they shall report to the Trust, with sufficient notice, identifying access support is required to ensure all locations are surveyed within the scope of the R & D survey.
- The works shall include for all measures to protect equipment & services and to protect against the transfer of dust within areas of works. All areas shall be left clean and ready for operational activities within the hospital departments to continue.
- All works shall be undertaken in line with current control of asbestos regulations 2012 and current HSE guidelines.
We have submitted a quote that leaves us exposed should there be access issues (which it seems inevitable that there will be). As it is a refurbishment survey we have quoted for a two-man team on site. Experience tells us that we are unlikely to win the work as our price will be uncompetitive, probably because we have allowed for a two-man team, but despite the fact that we know we have probably not allowed sufficient to cover for access and re-visits.
Our query is: how do other organisations deal with this conundrum? Do you just provide a realistic quote that allows for return visits accompanied by a contractor to help provide enclosures/access, where needed? Do you take a risk and quote for the time a basic survey would take and hope that there are no access issues? Do you make a visit before quoting to try and identify any issues with access (but bearing in mind that in an operational ward, things may be very different on the day you carry out the survey)? Do you allow for a two-man team on refurbishment surveys or just send someone on their own?
My boss feels that the current guidance in HSG 264 is not specific enough to ensure that the client takes sufficient responsibility for access and the expense involved in safe access.
The response can be seen within the attached document.
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