Background
In line with its statutory obligations under item 9 of BS8213 governing the cleaning and maintenance of windows, doors and roofsets, Anchor Care Homes carries out regular inspections of the windows and associated hardware in its properties to ensure the ongoing safety and security of its sometimes vulnerable residents. Mila has an established relationship with Anchor Trust, having carried out window and door maintenance programmes at other Trust owned properties in previous years, and also as an approved window and door maintenance contractor for the LHC Network, of which Anchor is a member.
The Problem
At the start of 2009, the Trust’s Health & Safety team decided that lockable safety restrictors were the most appropriate solution to maximise the safety of all its windows; and they approached window and door maintenance specialist Mila Maintenance to help decide on both the specification of the restrictors required and an installation programme for the 96 Anchor Care homes across England.
Mila Maintenance Solution
Our experience meant that we were able to recommend appropriate installation methods for different window framing systems and at the same time could identify any further problems or necessary maintenance on the windows as the contract progressed.
The 96 Anchor Care homes were up to four storeys high and featured a range of different styles and sizes of windows in a mix of PVC-U, timber, steel and aluminium.
Safety restrictors were fitted on all of the opening sashes in windows at care homes to eliminate any ongoing risk to its residents from open windows.
Benefits to Client
Mila Maintenance is one of very few companies in the UK with the resources and capacity to carry out such a large scale programme in 96 separate homes, which was completed on time and on budget.
We directly employ teams of NVQ qualified maintenance engineers which operate across the UK. Each of these is trained not just in the technical aspects of window and door maintenance and repair but also in the important skills of liaising politely with residents and delivering a reassuring and friendly service. All of this was very valuable to Anchor and in turn to the managers of its homes.
Anchor Trust were delighted with thte service they received and said: “Mila Maintenance are experts at what they do. They were able to give us specialist advice on the selection of the appropriate restrictor devices as well as implementing a very efficient installation programme. Feedback from the homes where their engineers have worked has been very positive.”