Comply with DDA with Rampsol solution

Edited by the Buildingtalk editorial team Jun 9, 2005

To help a hospital comply with DDA, Ramp Access Solutions (Rampsol) has supplied six wheelchair access ramps at Burnley General Hospital.

Since August 2004, to help the hospital comply with DDA, Ramp Access Solutions (Rampsol) has supplied East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust with six wheelchair access ramps at Burnley General Hospital.

The four ramps installed in August 2004 were for four different departments, Clinical Psychology, Dermatology, the Mary Burbury Unit, and Occupational Health.

These were to replace existing ramps that did not comply to DDA because they were too steep and did not have a level landing outside the doors.

The new ones installed in April 2005 were for a new ramp at the fire exit of the administration block and a replacement ramp for the administration main entrance that again did not did not comply with DDA.

On this most recent project Rampsol were contacted by architects The Stephen Barker Partnership and speed of completion was critical as the ramps had to be completed within an existing building programme being carried out by the main contractor, J and R Moran of Blackburn.

Within four working days of being contacted Rampsol had designed and costed the two ramps and submitted detailed plans.

The installation team started on site on the 6th April and all works were completed on 29th April including fabrication and erection of site-specific components.

A major advantage of the modular free-standing design of Rampsol ramps is that it is possible to build over the existing ramps.

This is quicker, causes far less disruption and is less expensive.

This would not have been possible using a conventional bricks and mortar construction.

Rampsol has been supplying ramps for wheelchair access since 1986 and the Toughform range is ideal for the hospital as they are designed for use where there is a high volume of pedestrian traffic such as schools, public buildings and railway stations.

The Toughform range also satisfies the requirements of Part M of the Building Regulations.