Altro flooring and wall cladding has been installed in the ground-breaking new £42.8m West Lancashire College and is already playing its part in significantly reducing accidents on campus.
Formerly Skelmersdale and Ormskirk College, the new build is part of the Newcastle College Group, which is in the top 10 per cent of colleges in the UK for retention and quality education. A major investment in learning for the region and part of the plan for the regeneration of Skelmersdale, the college comprises two buildings and covers 13,500m², replacing the older, sprawling campus, which was no longer fit for purpose.
Learners are offered a wide range of vocational courses in state-of-the-art facilities that include 'real life' working environments, from a hair and beauty salon and children's nursery, to a café bar and 200-seater theatre - which are also open to the public.
West Lancashire College was built by BAM Construction, and it was their architects RMJM who chose Altro flooring and wall cladding for the project. Project Manager at BAM, Gordon Flint, commented: "The new college build demanded that we select products of guaranteed quality and reliability. Altro was the obvious choice for us because we have a very good, long-standing relationship with them. They offer a wide choice of products, styles and colours that fit a variety of needs. We received excellent service from them as well, which is vital on a project of this size."
Over 2,700m² of Altro safety flooring was laid down within the college. Altro Suprema was used within circulation areas and classrooms. This popular flooring is ideal for general use and with a wide range of subtle colour choices it can suit any design scheme.
Altro Stronghold was installed in the college kitchens. Altro Stronghold is a 3mm thick product designed to deliver superb slip resistance in areas with wet or greasy conditions and where spillages are likely.
The Altro flooring was installed by Axiom Flooring. Paul Beddard, of Axiom, said: "This was a complex, high-spec project and we had to work around numerous other contractors on site. But these Altro products are very easy to lay compared with other types of safety flooring, which helped us get the job done on time. Altro also gave us great support throughout our four months on site."
Altro Whiterock hygienic wall cladding was installed in the catering and teaching kitchens, and Altro Whiterock Chameleon Splashbacks over sinks in around 60 rooms.
Altro Whiterock is a high quality, food safe, uPVC polymer for operating temperatures up to 60°C. It is easy to clean, impact resistant and grout-free. It meets all current EU Directives on health and hygiene and offered a cost-effective choice for West Lancashire College. Altro Whiterock Chameleon Splashbacks have a high gloss finish and come in a single sheet kit form that is easy to install.
Rob Guest, Director of JP Blagbrough, who installed the wall cladding, said: "Altro Whiterock was perfect for this application because it's tough, reliable, meets all the hygiene standards, is easy to clean and looks good. It's a popular choice and a very solid standard product."
John Griffiths, Director of Estates & Facilities at West Lancashire College, has no doubt that the Altro flooring and wall cladding are making a major contribution to the success of the new facility. "We are very pleased with the Altro products and I am confident that they are helping us to achieve some very impressive results for health and safety. We recently had our environmental health inspection and I am delighted that we received the top grade.
"In addition we can report a 46 per cent reduction in slips and trips and other accidents around the campus. The old college had more open areas and walkways, but this is still a significant reduction and a feather in our cap for improved safety standards."
"Overall I am delighted with the performance of the Altro products. They are really helping us to achieve and maintain a high standard for our college and the community."
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