Project title: Periodic Electrical Testing for BBC Television Centre, White City, London
Client: LandSecuritiesTrillium / Johnson Controls Limited / BBC direct
Keeping the Schedule Uninterrupted
The whole of the prestigious BBC Television Centre at White City required a statutory electrical inspection and test, in compliance with the Electricity at Work Regulations and BS7671.
All inspection and testing needed to be carried out overnight due to the daily broadcasting schedule and complexity of Television Centre. ‘Broadcast critical’ and other sensitive areas can only be down for short spaces of time, when broadcasts are not affected.
Total Co-ordination
The project was originally managed through Land Securities Trillium and work started in July 2005. Close coordination was needed between various parties involved: the project managers, the FM and Duty Managers for the BBC and on-site maintenance contractor.
Great care and attention had to be given to planning each night around broadcasting schedules and ensuring circuits remained live when required. The motto: ‘if in doubt don’t switch it off’, had to be adopted. Good communications with all parties to checking and give advanced warning when circuits were to be switched off was essential.
Detailed Reporting
One feature of the reports is to give a clear picture of circuit details and test results, which the BBC has requested be added to a new database (known as EDIS), for the recording of test and installation data.
Client Confidence
Management of the work has since been brought in-house at the BBC. However, the team continues to work through the circuits, producing clear reports of what has been done, issues arising and remedial work required, for compliance with regulations. They have also worked at other sites, such as Maida Vale Recording Studio’s, used by many well known artists and orchestras, and Kendal Avenue, West London, where all BBC outside Broadcasting teams are based.