Fire safety system helps Battersea Power Station

The Grade II listed building designed in the 1930s by Sir Giles Gilbert-Scott was decommissioned in 1983 and is now subject to an £8 billion re-development within 42 acres of former industrial land.

Phase 2 of the development involves the iconic power station building itself, where no less than 150 Cygnus wireless alarm systems are installed to ensure a safe environment for construction workers on site. With the project at groundwork stage and nearly all of the internals demolished, the Cygnus wireless alarm system is there to protect workers in the old wash towers, on ground levels and around all the pedestrian walkways.

The Bull Products’ Cygnus system provides a comprehensive network of fire alarm call points, first aid alerts, combined call points and first aid alerts, smoke detectors and heat detectors which are linked together in different zones on a construction site. As many as 480 alarm and detector units can be linked in this way in different zones.

Battersea Power Station is being redeveloped for mixed use with over 2 million sq.ft. of retail, leisure, offices and new homes.  

Darren O’Brien, security and fire systems manager for Woodlands Site Services, which is working for Skanska UK on the project, was keen to specify the Cygnus wireless alarm system. He said: “We have had much experience of using the Cygnus system on other projects and had no hesitation in using this for Battersea Power Station. It is absolutely perfect, is very solid and robust and does the job extremely well."