Finding The Right Room 

We earmarked an existing room that could be converted into a proper switch room. Once we got into it, we found the ceiling lined with asbestos. No drama. We paused the electrical works, brought in PCB Contracting and Morgan Environmental for testing and safe removal, and waited for sign-off before pushing ahead. 

What We Did 

With the room cleared and certified, our crew got to work: 

• Installed new main and distribution switchboards to replace the legacy boards spread around the store 

• Pulled fresh feeders and cleaned up old runs so future maintenance is straightforward 

• Tidied terminations, labelled everything clearly, and set the room up like a proper hub, not a patch job

Working Around Shoppers and Trading Hours 

The store stayed open the whole time, so planning was key. Every shutdown had a tight window, and every handover had to hit the mark. We staged the work after hours and in short slots, stayed in lockstep with store ops, and kept the aisles clear so shoppers and staff weren’t impacted. 

Safety First 

Asbestos is not something you guess on. PCB Contracting and Morgan Environmental handled the testing and removal to spec, and we did not touch a cable in that room until the all clear came through. On the electrical side, we followed our standard controls, permits, isolations, and daily pre-starts to keep everyone on the right side of the line. 

Testing And Commissioning 

Once the boards were in and feeders were landed, we tested the lot end to end. Insulation and continuity checks, functional testing on critical circuits, and a clean commissioning process so the store team knew exactly what was where. Handover included updated schedules and clear documentation for future call-outs. 

The Result 

What used to be a handful of ageing boards hidden around the place is now one tidy, accessible switch room. The power distribution is cleaner, fault finding is easier, and the store has a setup that’s fit for the next round of upgrades. We kept trading on track, hit our shutdown windows, and wrapped it up with zero fuss for shoppers. 

Services Delivered 

• Principal Contractor and subcontractor management 

• Switchboard replacement and consolidation 

• Switch room conversion and fit-out 

• Asbestos testing and removal coordination 

• Feeder pulls, terminations, and labelling 

• Testing, commissioning, and documentation 

Client Response 

Coles Swanview was happy with how it all ran. We kept trading steady, hit every shutdown window, and handed back a clean, well laid out switch room. They called out the planning, the way we worked around staff and shoppers, and the clear comms during each handover. Paperwork was tight, commissioning was smooth, and the store team said it’s now easier to find, isolate, and log faults when they need to.