March 2005

Wharfedale General Hospital has undergone successful restoration in just 6 weeks following a recent fire during construction. Although smoke damaged, the wall panels supplied by Ward Insulated Panels maintained their integrity throughout the fire and did not contribute to the spread of the blaze.

In what is believed to be one of the first fires in the UK involving LPCB approved PIR foam cored panels, the heat generated by the fire was sufficient to penetrate the steel structure’s intumescent coating and distort the steel structure yet the external PIR foam cored wall panels did not ignite according to an independent report by fire safety engineering consultants, TENOS.

The performance of Ward insulated panels in this real fire situation is testament to the range of Firesafe products available from Ward Insulated Panels, Sherburn North Yorkshire. Peter Santo of Ward Insulated Panels comments: “It is a common misconception that composite panels can present a fire hazard, but the fire at Wharfedale Hospital fully supports the statement by the Association of British Insurers (ABI) that ‘external claddings approved to LPS 1181 can be classified as a non-combustible building’.”

Sheeting contractors European Roofing Systems completed the installation and restoration of the hospital wall cladding which features Ward DW900 and DW600 panels.

David Murphy, Director at European Roofing Systems adds: “Whilst the fire at Wharfedale Hospital was an unfortunate event, it has given contractors the confidence to continue using PIR cored panels on future projects. A major advantage of using Ward insulated panels is their fire properties and the hospital fire ultimately proves the integrity of Ward Firesafe PIR cored panels. I am delighted with the way in which the DW wall panels performed in this actual fire situation. Ward insulated panels are quick and easy to install so the project required an extension period of only 6 weeks to complete the restoration.”