22nd April 2017
Many construction managers need to deal with managing multiple sites, each with their own unique identity and set of challenges. With pressure to deliver a quality build on time and on budget, handle a wide range of staff and health and safety issues, and complex logistics to contend with, there are plenty of things to keep the modern construction manager busy.
Fall-Pac’s inter site management team can help you move and store the Fall-Pac units across two or more sites. Here are a few more tips on the challenges site and project managers face when dealing with multi-site projects:
Communication
When something goes wrong, it’s normally down to bad communication. Working on multiple sites will mean that a construction manager will not always be in the right place at the right time. The good news is that improvements in technology today have made it easier than ever to stay in contact with the workforce.
Managing the Workforce
A major part of getting construction projects through to completion is having the right skilled staff on site. This is has become a problem in recent years with the industry employing over 300,000 fewer workers than it did just a decade ago. The Brexit decision last year may also see that workforce further deteriorating (12% of our builders and construction works come from abroad) which could put employers and site managers under increasing pressure. For now, construction managers need to work hard to make sure that they have the right skilled workers on site where and when they are needed.
Health and Safety
According to the Health and Safety Executive, each year about 3% of construction workers have an accident while on site. These include slips and trips (23%), lifting and handling injuries (22%) and falls from height (20%). One of the key challenges for site managers is making sure that they have the health and safety measures in place which prevent accidents occurring and meet with current legislation. This can include:
- Making sure workers are doing the job they are trained for.
- Ensuring protective gear and equipment is made available and is used.
- Keeping workers updated with regards to health and safety legislation and requirements.
- Introducing measures such as alcohol and drug testing for employees.
The challenges are even more acute when you have additional sites to manage and requires putting in the checks and balances that work while also providing employees with the equipment they need to do their job safely.
Construction Project Logistics
Bringing everything together in numerous complex operations is the real challenge that construction site managers face, particularly when they are responsible for a number of sites. Proper planning is key to productivity and bringing each location in on time. That means having the right staff and right equipment on site when it is needed and ensuring deliveries are completed in a timely manner. It also involves working collaboratively with a lot of different groups from the workers on site to the stakeholders who are investing in the construction site.
Construction site managers require a number of skills and tools at their disposal if they are to do their job properly. Not only do they need to be great man managers, they have to be able to organise the time and resources that contribute to bringing in projects on time and on budget while maintaining high levels of health and safety.