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A day in the life of a HSB Principal Engineer - Machinery Inherent Defects

Steven Chittock
Principal Engineer

"My day begins with the morning routine of helping getting my daughter ready for school; helping get her dressed into her uniform, and making sure her bag is packed. Then I leave for the train station, embarking on the journey into central London where, currently, most of my customers are located. The journey normally takes me around an hour, and I use this time to familiarise myself with the technical audit report from my last customer site visit.

Upon arriving at the customer’s site, I meet with the site contacts to discuss the project’s progress — covering everything from the installation of key plant items to the commissioning programme, and any developments since my last visit.

An elevator shaft in a tall, modern building

After our discussion, I head out for a site walk, reviewing the project from the rooftop all the way down to the basement; which can be 30+ floors!

During the site walk, I conduct a detailed comparison between the current mechanical and electrical installations and the approved design specifications reviewed during the design review. This involves verifying that the installed systems comply with the design specifications and manufacturer requirements.

I assess the quality and condition of equipment, check for proper installation practices, evaluate system resilience and redundancy, and identify any deviations that may impact performance.

Additionally, I engage with the main contractor to discuss strategies and plans for plant replacement or system upgrades when, or if, required in the future.

After the site walk is complete, I wrap up with a wash-up meeting, discussing the next steps with the main contractors, and any documentation that I might need to continue with the technical audit and inspections.

Once the site visit is completed, I head back home, where I document everything reviewed and discussed on the site visit report.

Some of the biggest challenges in my role can involve gaining access to relevant site information and reviewing technical specifications, along with the challenges of the ever-changing construction industry.

But one of the greatest highlights of my role is the opportunity to learn about new technologies being introduced in construction. It’s fascinating to see how these innovations are being integrated into existing systems. I also take pride in playing an important part of projects that are reshaping major city skylines."

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