What Is Surveillance?
Site surveillance is the on-site monitoring that erection and construction activities are carried out in accordance with the design, the specification and the applicable standards. It differs from shop fabrication in that conditions are uncontrolled and correction is far more costly.
Why Is It Done?
The aim is to verify, at the moment they are executed, that works which will later be concealed — buried pipe, concrete reinforcement, welds — are done correctly. Once covered, checking them is either impossible or destructive.
Who Requests It?
- Project owners and investors
- EPC contractors
- Energy, infrastructure and industrial facility projects
- Insurance companies and financing institutions
- Public investment institutions
Scope of Surveillance
- Currency of project and specification documents
- Material acceptance and site storage conditions
- Installation tolerances: axis, elevation, plumb
- Welding application and personnel qualification
- Bolted connections and pre-tension control
- Inspection of buried and concealed work before closure
- Coating and insulation application
- Witnessing of pressure and function tests
- Observation of occupational safety conditions
- Site nonconformity records and closure follow-up
Related Standards
- ISO/IEC 17020
- ISO 10005
- EN 1090-2
- EN 13480
- ISO 3834
Method and Equipment
- Total station, level and laser measuring instruments
- Coating-thickness gauge
- Torque wrench and bolt control equipment
- Weld seam gauges
- Photographic recording equipment
- Personal protective equipment
Surveillance Process
- 1Defining Scope and CriteriaThe order specification, the inspection and test plan (ITP), the delivery schedule and the reporting frequency are agreed with the buyer.
- 2Supplier AssessmentThe supplier's quality system, capacity, subcontractors and past performance are reviewed; a risk level is assigned.
- 3Surveillance PlanBased on the risk level, the frequency of site visits, the hold and witness points and the reporting calendar are planned.
- 4On-site SurveillanceThe surveyor attends the works during manufacturing, performing document checks, process observation and witnessing of inspections.
- 5Progress and Schedule MonitoringProgress against the plan is monitored; the risk of delay is identified early and reported to the buyer.
- 6Managing NonconformitiesDeviations found are reported, corrective action is requested and its close-out is followed up.
- 7Shipment Release and Close-outThe final inspection and the documentation package are checked; release for shipment is granted and a close-out report is issued.
Surveillance Report
- Details of the survey company, the surveyor and the buyer
- References to the order, the specification and the ITP
- Date of the visit and scope of the surveillance
- Findings of the document check
- Stage of manufacture and progress status
- Inspections and tests witnessed
- Nonconformities found and the status of corrective action
- Assessment of the schedule and the risk of delay
- Photographic records
- Recommendations for the next surveillance visit
- Site and project information
- Surveillance dates and scope
- Installation measurement results
- Approvals for work to be concealed
- Witnessed tests
- Nonconformities and closure status
- Photographic records
Limits of the Report
Surveillance does not remove the supplier's responsibility and does not assume liability for the quality of manufacture. The surveyor reports what was observed during the periods spent on site; production during the periods of absence falls outside the report. A surveillance report is neither an acceptance statement nor a guarantee; the inspection and acceptance provisions of the contract remain in force.
Accreditation
Surveillance activities are carried out under ISO/IEC 17020, which requires the impartiality of the survey body, the competence of its personnel and the validity of the survey methods. The impartiality rule is decisive: a survey body may not be a party to the trade in, or the manufacture of, the goods it surveys. EUROLAB holds internationally recognised accreditation under ISO/IEC 17020, granted by accreditation bodies that are signatories to the ILAC mutual recognition arrangement; because accredited scope is defined per type of surveillance, it is confirmed in writing at the quotation stage.
Scope and authorisationsRelated Surveillance Services
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is work to be concealed treated separately?
Work such as reinforcement before concrete pouring, buried pipe before closure, or welding under insulation cannot be seen once completed. Approval of this work before it is closed is commonly defined as a hold point in contracts.
Does surveillance reduce the supplier's responsibility?
No, it does not. The surveyor observes and reports on behalf of the buyer; the supplier remains responsible for the quality of manufacturing and compliance with the contract. A surveillance report is not a statement of acceptance.
Is the surveyor present on site continuously?
This depends on the level of surveillance. On critical projects, continuous (resident) surveillance is applied; on others, visits are made at specific hold points. Manufacturing carried out while the surveyor is not present falls outside the scope of the report, and this is clearly stated in the report.
How is the independence of the surveillance body ensured?
Surveillance is carried out under ISO/IEC 17020, which requires impartiality and the prevention of conflicts of interest. The surveillance body cannot be a party to the design or production of the manufacturing it surveys.