Closing the loop between inspection and resolution
A compliance survey that identifies a defect but never results in its remediation is of limited value to a duty holder. OEC's remedial and construction offer exists specifically to close that loop — giving clients a single accountable partner from defect identification through scope, tender, oversight and safe, evidenced sign-off. We do not self-deliver construction works; instead we act as the client-side technical representative, coordinating and supervising a panel of vetted, third-party certified specialist contractors.
The CDM 2015 framework
Every remedial package of any scale is delivered under the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015 (CDM 2015). CDM 2015 allocates specific legal duties to five roles: the Client, the Principal Designer, the Principal Contractor, Designers and Contractors. For projects involving more than one contractor, a Principal Designer and Principal Contractor must be appointed in writing.
OEC typically acts as Principal Designer on compliance-led remedial projects. Our CDM duties include: the preparation of the Pre-Construction Information pack; design risk management; coordination of other designers; liaison with the Principal Contractor; and the preparation and handover of the Health and Safety File at project completion. On notifiable projects (more than 30 days or 500 person-days of construction), the F10 Notification is prepared and submitted to the HSE.
Passive fire protection — third-party certification
Passive fire protection (PFP) is one of the most consequential building-safety disciplines. Failures in compartmentation, fire stopping, cavity barriers and intumescent coatings were central to the findings of the Grenfell Tower Inquiry and have driven a material shift in regulatory expectation.
All PFP remedial works coordinated by OEC are delivered by installers holding current third-party certification under schemes such as FIRAS (administered by Warringtonfire), BM TRADA Q-Mark, IFC Certification or CERTIFIRE. Materials are specified to the appropriate Euroclass reaction-to-fire rating and installed strictly in accordance with the manufacturer's approved installation instructions and the product-specific third-party test evidence. On completion, each installer issues a certificate of installation, and photographic evidence is uploaded to the client's compliance portal as part of the Golden Thread.
Fire door remediation — FDIS and UK Fire Doors
Fire doors are frequently the single most defective element in residential common parts. Remediation is delivered to BS 8214:2016 — Code of practice for fire door assembly, with every doorset either repaired in situ or replaced with a certified, fire-tested assembly carrying a 30-minute (FD30S) or 60-minute (FD60S) rating as appropriate. Installers hold current accreditation under the Fire Door Inspection Scheme (FDIS) and the UK Fire Doors scheme.
Each remediated doorset is recorded on a structured 30-point inspection sheet covering: leaf and frame integrity; perimeter gaps (nominally 2–4mm); intumescent and cold-smoke seals; ironmongery (hinges, closers, latches, locks); glazing (if present); signage; and Euro-cylinder security. Where possible, the door's certification label is preserved and photographed as part of the completion record.
Asbestos abatement coordination
Asbestos abatement ranges from the non-licensed removal of low-risk items (some floor tiles, textured decorative coatings, some cement products) up to fully licensed removal of higher-risk insulation, insulating board and coatings. OEC acts as the duty holder's representative on all licensed projects, operating to the full requirements of the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012 (CAR 2012) and the HSE's L143 Approved Code of Practice.
Our coordination scope includes: scope of works and tender documentation; vetting of HSE-licensed contractors (including review of the licence renewal history); review of the Plan of Work and Risk Assessment and Method Statement (RAMS); submission of the 14-day ASB5 notification; witnessing enclosure construction, smoke testing and pressure testing; commissioning independent four-stage clearance in accordance with HSG 248; and issuing the Certificate of Reoccupation. Consignment notes and waste transfer records are verified against the duty holder's Duty of Care obligations under the Environmental Protection Act 1990.
Compartmentation, cavity barriers and escape route improvements
Works to restore or enhance compartmentation are delivered to BS 9991:2015 (residential) and BS 9999:2017 (non-residential). Common scope elements include: reinstatement of compartment floors and walls; sealing of service penetrations to tested detail; installation of cavity barriers at compartment junctions; upgrading of fire dampers; and improvements to means-of-escape routes — including re-routing of combustible services, upgrade of escape door assemblies, and installation or upgrade of emergency lighting to BS 5266-1:2016.
Damp and mould remediation — fogging, fungicides and structural drying
OEC delivers a complete programme of damp and mould remediation across both domestic and commercial premises. All works are carried out under a written risk assessment and method statement aligned to the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 (COSHH), with operative PPE including FFP3 respirators, protective coveralls and nitrile gloves — consistent with HSE and BOHS guidance on the handling of mould-contaminated materials.
The typical remediation sequence involves:
- Containment and negative pressure — where mould coverage is extensive or where the affected area is within an occupied or sensitive environment (schools, care homes, healthcare, food production), the work area is isolated under polythene containment with continuous H13/H14 HEPA air-scrubbing maintaining negative pressure throughout the works.
- Physical removal of contaminated materials — non-salvageable porous materials (degraded plasterboard, saturated insulation, heavily contaminated soft furnishings, mould-compromised carpet) are bagged, sealed and removed as hazardous waste where applicable.
- Specialist fungicide cleaning — affected surfaces are treated with commercial-grade biocidal and fungicidal washes (typically quaternary ammonium compounds, hypochlorite-based or hydrogen-peroxide-based formulations) applied manually with controlled agitation and dwell time according to the manufacturer's COSHH-compliant method.
- Ultra-Low-Volume (ULV) biocidal fogging — once surfaces are clean and structurally dry, a ULV fogging treatment is deployed to reach voids, ceilings, soft furnishings and surfaces beyond the practical reach of manual cleaning. ULV fogging produces a dry aerosol of sub-20-micron droplets which settle across all exposed surfaces, sanitising the entire treated zone. Treatment agents are typically BPR-registered biocides with proven activity against a broad range of mould species including Aspergillus, Penicillium, Cladosporium and Stachybotrys chartarum.
- Structural drying — where elevated moisture content remains in the building fabric (plaster, blockwork, timber, screed), refrigerant or desiccant dehumidifiers are deployed together with air movers, achieving controlled drying to a target moisture content verified against pre-set benchmarks.
- Antimicrobial coatings and redecoration — following verified drying, treated surfaces are made good and redecorated using breathable, antimicrobial paint systems (typically silicate- or mineral-based coatings for persistent condensation environments, or vapour-permeable emulsion systems with active antifungal biocides incorporated into the paint matrix).
- Root-cause remediation — critically, OEC never treats symptoms in isolation. Every mould remediation package is accompanied by the structural interventions that address the cause: roof repair, damp-proof course installation, re-pointing, gutter replacement, ventilation upgrades (continuous MEV, MVHR or PIV to Approved Document F), or insulation enhancement to remove cold bridges.
On completion, OEC issues a full remediation report including pre- and post-works photographs, moisture-content readings, the biocidal products used (with their COSHH data sheets and BPR registration numbers), containment logs, waste transfer notes where applicable, and — where air-quality sampling has been commissioned — clearance spore counts against the pre-works baseline. For regulated sectors (healthcare, care, education, food production), an additional post-remediation verification (PRV) inspection is carried out before handover, consistent with IICRC S520 principles on mould remediation.
Contract strategy and commercial structure
Projects are procured under standard-form contracts appropriate to the scale and risk — typically JCT Minor Works or JCT Intermediate for smaller compliance-led packages, and JCT Standard or the NEC 4 Engineering and Construction Contract (Options A–E) for larger refurbishment-scale interventions. For portfolio clients, a framework agreement is often the most efficient vehicle — locking in vetted contractors, agreed rates and standard documentation.
Quality assurance, handover and the Golden Thread
Quality assurance is embedded at every stage of delivery: pre-construction risk workshops; weekly site progress meetings with photographic records; defined hold-points; and a rigorous pre-handover quality inspection. At completion, the client receives a full handover pack including: the Health and Safety File (CDM 2015); installation certificates from each third-party certified installer; photographic evidence indexed by location; updated fire strategy and fire risk assessment as appropriate; and updated asbestos and compliance registers.
For Higher-Risk Buildings, this handover pack contributes directly to the Golden Thread of building safety information maintained by the Principal Accountable Person under the Building Safety Act 2022 — ensuring that every remedial works package leaves the building demonstrably safer, and that the evidence survives future changes of ownership, managing agent and resident population.
