We aim to continuously operate in a safe and responsible manner with the greatest respect for the health and safety of our employees, contractors, customers, and the community in which we operate. We are continuously planning, risk assessing and inspecting our work operations with full consideration of all risk factors in the workplace.

We view Health & Safety as a Core Value that guides everything we do and are always striving to improve our standards. We will, to this end, endeavour to ensure that all relevant Statutes, Regulations, and Codes of Practice are complied with.

Each project’s exact specification is tailored to the build environment and the specific design elements of the balcony, anchor system supports and the weather/fire-proofing requirements

A full technical Submission is provided with each project detailing the standards and agreed on relevant calculations.

In general, the design standards to be used for the balconies are summarised as follows:

• Standards on Balconies & Terraces – BS 8579
• Basis of Design: BS EN 1990 (incl. associated National Annexes where appropriate): Eurocode – Basis of structural design. (EC0)
• General Actions: BS EN 1991: Eurocode 1: Actions on structures. (EC1)
• Design of steel: BS EN 1993: Eurocode 3 Design of steel structure. (EC3)

• Our manufactured products comply will all relevant CE marking Standards: I.S. EN 1090 (up to EXC 3 certified) and our welders are certified in line with CE Marking requirements.
• We are BIM-ready fabricators and independently assessed to ISO 9001 standards.

Following completion of the works, balconies will have:

• Sd Ancillary Certificate of Compliance: Design
• Si Ancillary Certificate of Compliance: Inspection.
• O’Carroll Engineering will sign Cs Ancillary: Completion

Insurances:

Killarney Precision Engineering trading as O’Carroll Engineering carries Employer Liability, Public/Product Liability as well as Professional Indemnity insurance (the specific levels are outlined in quotes and project contracts).

O’Carroll Engineering implements ISO 9001 quality management standards to ensure each product that leaves our factory has gone through a rigorous inspection and does not leave for installation unless each of those exacting standards is met.

All balcony projects are tracked on a master file linked to both client references and our internal production management software.  There is a specific ‘Inspection & Test Plan’ implemented on each balcony project. These systems provide complete traceability on materials and ensure quality standards are consistent in the manufacturing process through to the final inspection onsite.

Our goal is to design products that align with modern methods of construction and ease of installation onsite.  OCE balcony products incorporate design elements to facilitate these goals. Our cantilever options offer significant tolerance left and right if required.  In situations where accuracy is key, we have the survey, design, manufacturing and fitting expertise to ensure efficiencies onsite are maximised. As always early engagement with our clients is essential to ensure the best results.

Principal elements of our balconies will be galvanised mild steel frames and aluminium railings, both Class A fire rated.  We provide options on decking finishes from a Class B composite option to Class A aluminium products. Our standard thermal break layer is Class B rated (20 mm+) but we are happy to facilitate project-specific requirements with alternative options.

OCE Modular balconies are designed to conform to the relevant standards (Eurocode 1).   Dead and live loads, wind loading, load combinations, deflection and vibration are all assessed and specified appropriately per project in consultation with clients and our structural engineering partners.

Our balcony options are priced with a certified OCE standard anchor/stub thermal break layer.  This layer can be tailored to specific project requirements and we can also offer proprietary product options if specifically required by clients.  We design to minimise the number of penetration points on the building to lessen the effects of cold bridging, the thermal layer specification may affect the number of supports required in some instances.

In the case of both weather and fireproofing, we work with clients and their chosen specialist contractors in these areas to ensure both parties understand the requirements and an agreed plan is in place before the design stage. Where possible the design of our anchor/stub system eases their finishing requirements.  An example of this is the shape of our stub and how that eases the application of a weatherproofing DPM.

The threshold detail can have significant knock-on effects on the design and fitting of a balcony.  We offer an OCE adjustable threshold or work with clients on their specific requirements. Early engagement on this detail is a priority for our design team. Coordination is required with all contributors, the client and their agents, window & door suppliers as well as weatherproofing contractors.  As well as an agreed coordinated decision, balcony threshold detail are tailored to project-specific requirements and regulations such as DAC compliance.

OCE Modular balconies are designed to facilitate maintenance on the balcony from within the balcony structure.  Replaceable decking, access to torc fixings, the ability to clear drainage channels and replacement glass if required can all be done from inside the balcony structure. O’Carroll Engineering also provides comprehensive O & M manuals as part of our final handover documentation.