Agree Supervision and Site Inspections

Description

The Project Manager is required to contact each discipline within the TRM to offer site inspection and supervision services during the construction phase of the projects. These services will be tailored to each specific project. The contractor may advise on key activities and critical stages where inspections would be most beneficial; however, the TRM Team must retain flexibility to determine when they wish to attend site and which inspections they consider necessary. This approach will ensure that all disciplines are appropriately supported throughout the construction works while maintaining oversight at the most relevant and impactful stages of the project. 

Supervision and site inspections provide client-side technical assurance that Mechanical, Electrical and Public Health (MEP) systems and the Building Management System (BMS) are installed in accordance with the approved design intent, Imperial College London Standards, statutory requirements, and operational expectations. 

The primary objective is to confirm that installed systems are: 

  • Compliant with Imperial College London BESPR and BMS standards
  • Safe, coordinated and constructed to an appropriate quality
  • Maintainable and accessible throughout their operational life
  • Capable of being successfully commissioned, witnessed, and handed over

Supervision and site inspections do not replace the contractor's responsibilities for construction quality, health and safety, or commissioning. 

Engagement

The Project Manager (PM) is responsible for establishing, coordinating, and maintaining the MEP and BMS levels of supervision and site inspections, in collaboration with the Engineering Team. During any project, it will be necessary to speak to the Head of Engineering, Property (Gavin Tang - ka-wing-gavin.tang@imperial.ac.uk) to agree on the level, frequency and focus of supervision and inspections shall be proportionate to the risk, complexity and operational criticality of the works. 

MEP and BMS supervision and site inspections are required where projects include one or more of the following: 

  • New, altered, or replacement MEP or BMS systems
  • Works interfacing with existing live building services
  • Central plant, specialist systems, laboratories or critical infrastructure
  • BMS extensions, panel modifications, control upgrades or plant integration
  • Systems critical to safety, compliance, energy performance or resilience
  • Increased delivery risk due to complexity, phasing, or operational constraints
  • Requirements arising from Building Safety Act (BSA), fire strategy or assurance obligations

Forms and Links 

MEP Supervision and Site Inspection Records include:

  • Formal records of inspections
  • Observations 
  • Defects
  • Corrective actions confirming installation readiness

Approvals and Compliance Review

Supervision and site inspections confirm that MEP and BMS systems are installed correctly and ready to proceed to commissioning, in accordance with the approved design and Imperial College London standards.  Completion of supervision and site inspections verifies installation readiness only and does not constitute system acceptance.

Commissioning and witnessing activities shall not commence unless: 

  • Supervision and site inspections are complete
  • Material installation defects and non conformances are resolved or formally managed
  • Readiness is confirmed by the Project Manager in consultation with Engineering, Energy, Sustainability and Maintenance Teams

Repeated Subsequent RIBA Stages

Supervision and inspection activity is typically concentrated in RIBA Stages 4-6, as follows: 

RIBA Stage 4
  • Confirmation that supervision and inspection requirements are identified, scoped and resourced
  • Review of MEP and BMS designs for constructability, maintainability and compliance
RIBA Stage 5
  • Site inspections during installation of MRP systems and BMS infrastructure
  • Verification of alignment with approved designs, strategies and descriptions of operation
  • Early identification of installation defects or deviations before commissioning
  • Assurance of readiness ahead of Independent Validation and Imperial witnessing
RIBA Stage 6 
  • Confirmation that installed systems align with final documentation and records
  • Support to snag closure, training, familiarisation and maintenance acceptance
  • A Stage 7 visit may be requested where seasonal or performance-related verification is required