Manufacturing Facility, North Wales: Commissioning Assurance

Overview

The project is a large process manufacturing facility in North Wales, with construction and commissioning activities running side by side across the site.

Matthews & Roberts was appointed in January 2026 to coordinate commissioning activities across the facility. Our role is to keep construction completion and commissioning readiness aligned, to make sure each system is handed over in a controlled and documented way and to make sure commissioning is delivered in line with the relevant regulations and standards.

Our Scope

Our appointment spans the full route from construction completion through to commissioning output and post test performance.

Construction completion and handover

We manage the closure of construction activities system by system and coordinate their handover to the commissioning division. Each system is walked down against its scope, with outstanding items captured on punch lists and categorised by whether they must be closed before commissioning can proceed.

Commissioning readiness

We confirm that each system is ready before commissioning begins. Construction completions, documentation, inspections and outstanding punch items are reviewed against agreed readiness criteria so that commissioning starts on a sound basis.

Stakeholder framework

We created a bespoke framework linking the client, the contracting parties and the commissioning team. It sets out the deliverables required from each party, ties them to project milestones and gives everyone a single view of what must be complete, by whom and by when.

Inspection and test plans

We manage inspection and test plans across construction and commissioning. Each inspection, test and witness point is completed, recorded and signed off before work moves to the next stage.

Factory and site acceptance testing

We coordinate Factory Acceptance Tests and Site Acceptance Tests for key equipment and systems. Results are reviewed against specification with formal sign off recorded before equipment is accepted into the commissioning programme.

Completions and commissioning assurance

We track completions from mechanical completion through to commissioning output, maintaining an auditable record of certificates, test results and sign offs. This assurance trail demonstrates that each system has been built, tested and commissioned as intended.

Post test performance

Following commissioning we support post test performance verification, confirming that each system delivers the required commissioning output before final acceptance.

Process safety

We make sure the outputs of HAZOP studies and Layer of Protection Analysis (LOPA) are carried through into commissioning. Actions are tracked to close out and the required safeguards are confirmed in place before each system is introduced to process.

Interface between commissioned assets and construction

Once equipment is energised or introduced to process, the risk profile of the surrounding area changes. We manage the interface between commissioned assets and the ongoing construction works so that risks are identified and properly controlled. Measures are put in place to eliminate risk where possible or reduce it to an acceptable level. These include clear system boundaries, isolations, permit to work controls and structured communication between the construction and commissioning teams.

Regulatory compliance

Matthews & Roberts ensures commissioning activities are planned and delivered in line with the relevant regulations and standards, including:

• Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974
• Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999
• Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015
• Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 (PUWER)
• Pressure Systems Safety Regulations 2000 (PSSR)
• Electricity at Work Regulations 1989
• Dangerous Substances and Explosive Atmospheres Regulations 2002 (DSEAR)
• Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998 (LOLER)
• Supply of Machinery (Safety) Regulations 2008
• Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 (COSHH)
• BS 7671 Requirements for Electrical Installations
• BS EN 61511 Functional Safety for the Process Industry Sector

Approach

Aligning construction and commissioning

Construction completion and commissioning readiness are often managed separately. We bring them into one plan so that the order in which systems are completed matches the order in which they need to be commissioned.

A single assurance record

Every punch item, test, certificate and sign off sits in one structured record. The project team can see at any point what is complete, what is outstanding and what is holding up the next stage.

Controlled change of status

The move from construction to commissioning changes who controls each system and how it can be worked on. We make that change formal, documented and understood by everyone on site.

Outcome

The project is live. Matthews & Roberts continues to coordinate handover and commissioning across the facility, with completions, testing and sign offs managed through a single assurance process.

Matthews & Roberts is based in Liverpool and supports industrial and manufacturing projects across North Wales, the North West and the wider UK.