As the rate of Covid-19 infections spiralled upwards during March 2020, the Irish Government took steps to ease the burden on hospitals in Dublin and other cities by assembling self-isolation and step-down facilities around the country.
Dublin’s Citywest Hotel and convention centre was identified as the largest of the planned sites and so began a record-breaking effort to transform it into a temporary medical centre providing 325 beds in the converted conference centre for those who tested positive for the virus.
Core Distribution was one of the first manufacturing partners to step in to offer assistance, as Technical Sales Executive, Bernard Carroll, explains, “I got in touch with Padraic Kilgannon, the Managing Director of Total Expo who was installing the cubicles for the step-down facility. We went over various options for cable management products for power, data and nurse call cabling, which they then proposed to the HSE.
“Marshall-Tufflex’s newly redesigned Sterling Mono20 product, now renamed Sterling Compact, was selected for its minimal profile and smooth surface that would make effective cleaning simple. Infection control was, of course, the priority, so every part of the facility had to support this.
“Due to the urgent need to have these facilities set up, speed and product availability were also crucial. Core Distribution’s large holding stock in Dublin provided the CEF Red Cow Branch, who Total Expo purchased the Sterling Compact through, a speedy and efficient service. Within two hours of receiving the final order for the Citywest centre, the products were delivered to site and ready to use on the Friday afternoon.”
Urgent response
So rapid was the turnaround that Core Distribution’s Managing Director, Dan Fisher made the drop-off himself. “When the van delivery driver is the MD you know you need the product in a hurry!” says Bernard. “I believe we are the only company in Ireland who was in a position to move so quickly. As well as having the required amount of trunking we also had the matching accessories such as the end caps, the back boxes and so on. We easily completed the order in one hit.”
On the back of the success of that project, Core Distribution was chosen to deliver the same Sterling Compact trunking to another 80-bed strong step-down facility at the University of Limerick. Living just two miles from the centre, Bernard was ideally placed to make site visits with the contractor – again Total Expo.
Bernard admits it was a strange time to be working on projects. “The country was in a lockdown, but we were extremely busy on other hospital projects supplying our medical bed head and anti-microbial trunking. We were operating as an essential services supplier but were also getting phone calls from a lot of our wholesaler customers, electrical contactors and consultant engineers from across the country who were upgrading wards to Covid wards and they needed the products urgently.”
Marshall-Tufflex’s new sterling compact
At just 140mm by 50mm Sterling Compact is the smallest three-compartment trunking option in Core Distribution’s range of cable management systems from Marshall-Tufflex. Manufactured from 84% recycled PVC-U that is self-extinguishing and non-flame propagating, Sterling Compact accommodates standard power, voice and data cabling and is compliant up to Cat 7a.
Core Distribution
Core Distribution are experts in cable management and power distribution systems for the electrical industry. They represent UK and Europe’s premier manufacturers across Ireland and Northern Ireland, providing all the benefits of expert distribution, proficient technical expertise and excellent customer service. The warehouse facilities in Belfast and Dublin help deliver a complete package, which is tailored to suit the individual needs of a project.
Dublin: +353 (0)1 453 7033
Belfast: +44 (0)28 9002 0066
E: sales@coreelectrical.ie
www.coreelectrical.com
