An electrical site survey for a New Year project
Posted on 12th December 2022
We recently completed a site survey in Swindon for a warehouse project that will keep us busy in the new year. It will include:
fork lift charging stations
office heating
additional power
CCTV and control power.
What happens on an electrical site survey
Industrial and commercial sites have often been altered and expanded over time due to changing needs and different uses. This can lead to some unusual electrical challenges.
Often documentation is incomplete or missing which is why it’s important to visit the site to make a thorough check. Then we can make sure we’ll meet our customer’s requirements.
A site survey allows us to confirm exactly what our customers need and expect. We will also check all the available information about the existing electrical installations to avoid any surprises later.
The survey will provide us with an opportunity to confirm everything in detail. This might include peak energy demand, energy saving measures, security, emergency lighting and back-up power supplies. This will allow us to create and accurate quotation, schedule, and return on investment (ROI) calculations where needed.
Planning electrical installations
Electrical installations in large sites are complex so the more we can learn about them the better. If the site is in regular use we will also need to carefully review all the health and safety requirements and any possible impact on operations.
We can check meters, circuit labels, wiring sheets, cable and MCB sizes to make sure our estimates and schedules include any specialist techniques or equipment.
Operational issues such as multiple distribution boards in different locations for a single piece of equipment or production line can be identified so we can organise work to minimise disruption. We can also anticipate possible problems that could arise and discuss ways to address them.
Teamwork
Depending on the type of operation and the project itself it’s common for other trades and professions to be involved. The survey will allow us to understand how the whole project will be completed and where we will depend on others or they will depend on us.
Project management can be time-consuming but if things aren’t done in the right order it can lead to delays and costly changes, so it’s worth taking some time to make sure all the details have been considered. This might include making sure the right people are on site at the right times to provide access, authorise turning off certain equipment, or to approve stages of the project before the next part can begin.
Please get in touch if you would like to know more about how we manage larger commercial and industrial electrical installation projects.
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