Case Study: Harben House 140 Bedroom and Serviced Office Complex – Life Safety System Maintenance

Location: Newport Pagnell, Buckinghamshire
Contract Value: Confidential
Scope: Annual maintenance and 24/7 emergency engineer support for all life safety systems

Scope of the Contract

Annual inspection, testing, and maintenance of life safety systems at Harben House, including:

Fire alarm systems

Emergency lighting

Fire extinguishers

Fire door inspections and compliance

24/7/365 on-call engineer response

Overview

Firesand Fire & Security was appointed to provide comprehensive life safety system maintenance at Harben House, a large multi-tenant site in Newport Pagnell operating as both an office complex and a live hotel facility. The site also provides emergency accommodation in partnership with Milton Keynes Council, adding an additional layer of sensitivity and operational complexity.

Given the building’s continuous 24/7 occupancy—housing hotel guests, office tenants, and vulnerable residents—our service delivery had to be discreet, efficient, and precisely coordinated to avoid disruption to essential services or the safety of occupants.

Delivery

Firesand developed a carefully phased maintenance programme tailored to the site’s unique operational profile. Scheduled works were conducted outside of peak hours where possible, and we coordinated closely with on-site facilities management to ensure access to all areas with minimal interruption to guests and tenants.

All systems were maintained in strict accordance with British Standards:

BS 5839 for fire detection and alarm systems

BS 5266 for emergency lighting

BS 8214 for fire door inspections

Our team ensured all statutory servicing and documentation were up to date and accessible for compliance and audit purposes. In addition, we provide a 24/7/365 on-call engineer solution, ensuring any faults or alarms can be resolved quickly, protecting both property and occupants day or night.

Project Challenges & Solutions

The greatest challenge at Harben House was delivering technical maintenance within a live, fully occupied environment that includes hotel guests, working professionals, and emergency housing residents. With people present in virtually every part of the building at all times, flexibility and safety were paramount.

To mitigate disruption, our engineers worked in close cooperation with site management, adapting our approach on a day-to-day basis to suit occupancy levels and sensitive areas. Noise, equipment testing, and access requirements were all handled with professionalism and discretion.

Our consistent on-site presence and responsive support model also helped build trust with both the facilities team and residents, ensuring Firesand remains a dependable partner for ongoing life safety compliance.

Resources

Firesand assigned a dedicated lead engineer familiar with the site’s layout and occupancy profile, supported by additional engineers during peak testing windows. A service coordinator manages all documentation and scheduling, with a direct line of communication to the client’s facilities team.

Benefits

Full statutory compliance across all key life safety systems

24/7/365 engineer call-out for emergency response

Discreet servicing within a sensitive, fully occupied site

Reliable performance of critical safety systems

Trusted partnership with facilities and local authority stakeholders