SERVICE: EOD RISK MITIGATION
LOCATION: CAMBRIDGESHIRE, ENGLAND

Client Profile and Project Overview
This client owns and manages a globally recognised brand in the service sector. The client was expanding operations and was undertaking a multi-million pound construction redevelopment project in Cambridgeshire, England. Late in the design stage the client's project team was unexpectedly faced with the risk of dealing with World War II (WWII) unexploded ordnance (UXO). Legitimate concerns had been raised over construction health and safety, and about legal liability in the event of an UXO related accident. Contractors had been approached directly for solutions but their proposals failed to meet either the client's schedule, cost or quality parameters. 6 Alpha were engaged and orchestrated a timely solution which completely ameliorated the client's concerns at a significant cost saving.

Threat and Vulnerability Assessment
6 Alpha undertook an immediate threat and vulnerability assessment which discounted major areas of potential threat and enabled the team to focus only on those threats that required amelioration.

Risks
For those risks that remained extant, 6 Alpha designed a risk matrix together with a mechanism for ameliorating each type of risk.

Business Impact
The client was directly concerned about the risk to construction ground-workers, as well as the indirect impact of an accidental UXB initiation on underground services; finally there was a future concern too for the site's intended occupants as well as facilities management and maintenance staff. As part of the service, 6 Alpha described those legal and health and safety liabilities as well as industry specific regulations (in this case client and designer's liabilities under the Construction Design and Management (CDM) regulations), culminating in potential business impacts associated with each potential risk and event.

Options
6 Alpha then proposed an innovative framework for strategic and tactical risk carriage, by dividing responsibilities between the client and the principal contractor. The client agreed this proposal and it was successfully was implemented.

Project Management
6 Alpha wrote a technical document describing the contractual requirements for the delivery of Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) risk mitigation services and then employed it as a performance specification in the invitation to tender. A tender evaluation was undertaken by 6 Alpha and recommendations made on a variety of criteria. A contract was awarded to an EOD Contractor who was engaged as a nominated sub-contractor to the principal. 6 Alpha remained engaged throughout the contract period to advise the client's design team and to act as a technical intermediary between the client and the principle contactor and the nominee.

Conclusion
6 Alpha's threat, risk and vulnerability analysis enabled the design team to focus only on those potential UXO threats that required amelioration. A technical performance specification was written, a competition was staged and the most suitable contractor was selected to deliver the risk mitigation solution. 6 Alpha remained engaged throughout the UXO risk mitigation phase of the contact in order to ensure that quality standards were met and to rapidly design solutions to deal with unexpected problems. The project was delivered to schedule, specification and cost parameters. The client's risks were also successfully mitigated. Our solution was delivered at a considerable cost saving when compared the original quotes for the work.