Case Study

King's College Hospital, London

Guidance on Helipad Fire Fighting System - a UK First in Helipad Safety

King’s College Hospital London made history as the first UK mainland facility to install a helipad equipped with the latest Deck Integrated Fire Fighting System (DIFFS). This case study explores CAAi's expert advice and support provided to implement this cutting-edge safety system and achieve full certification for the new helipad, setting a new benchmark for helipad safety standards.

The Development of King’s College Hospital's Roof-Top Helipad

King’s College Hospital serves a trauma population of 4.5 million people across South East London and Kent. Previously, its helipad was situated at surface level, requiring patients to be transferred the final stretch to the hospital by ambulance, causing critical delays.

Thanks to a generous multi-million-pound donation from the County Air Ambulance HELP Appeal – a charity devoted to funding hospital helipads – the hospital was able to construct a state-of-the-art helipad directly on its rooftop, dramatically improving patient transfer times and enhancing emergency care.

Implementing the UK’s First DIFFS Installation

In the UK, elevated heliports are legally required to have a dedicated firefighting service. Traditionally, this has been achieved through a fixed foam monitor system, which necessitates trained firefighters to manually fight fires. However, employing firefighters for this task would have cost the Trust an additional £300,000 annually.

To reduce operational costs and complexity, the hospital sought to install the Deck Integrated Fire Fighting System (DIFFS), a more automated and cost-effective solution. As the first DIFFS installation on the UK mainland, the Trust required expert technical input to secure approval from local firefighting services.

Ensuring Compliance and Safety: Expert Advice on DIFFS Implementation

CAAi was appointed to provide expert technical advice on the latest Deck Integrated Fire Fighting System (DIFFS), a system that allows a Responsible Person to activate the firefighting response at the push of a button. CAAi’s role included liaising with local firefighting services to ensure they understood the system’s functionality and how it would work in a crash scenario, ensuring they could provide appropriate backup.

Additionally, CAAi’s experts reviewed the system for any potential non-compliances, ensuring it met UK CAA CAP 1264 regulations. For the DIFFS to pass inspection, it had to meet specific requirements, including an application rate of 5.5 l/m2/min for the Level B primary foam media, a minimum discharge duration of five minutes, and the requirement that the principal agent be delivered to the entire landing area within 15 seconds of activation.

Transforming Trauma Care by Air

In September 2016, the new helipad at King’s College Hospital was certified to UK CAA CAP 1264 standards by the UK aviation regulator, significantly reducing the time required to transport critically ill patients. Equipped with a Deck Integrated Fire Fighting System (DIFFS), the helipad offers not only substantial financial savings to the Trust but also an automated firefighting system that rapidly suppresses fires, providing crucial time for helicopter occupants to escape safely.

The DIFFS has been approved by ICAO for both offshore and onshore heliports, and with the ongoing update of Annex 14 Volume II, the Heliport Manual for onshore helipads is expected to be published in July 2020.

Expert Guidance on Helicopter Landing Site Safety

Using our knowledge and expertise as authors of CAP 1264, we offer independent CAA advice and guidance on aviation matters during the design, construction, and commissioning of hospital heliports to any NHS Trust in the UK.

Our advice ensures that the helicopters can operate safely and ensure that critically ill patients receive the very best care as quickly as possible. We provide advice and guidance on existing sites or new developments for all three types of heliports:

  • Surface Level
  • Raised (under 3m high)
  • Elevated (typically on top of a building)

Discover how our Helipad design review services can enhance safety and compliance for your projects

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