Construction is an excellent sector to be in; it’s always needed, it’s potentially profitable, and the end results are there for all the see – your work isn’t going to be unnoticed. However, as much as there are definitely positive points to construction, there are some negative ones too, the biggest of which is that construction sites can be inefficient and unsafe, and that’s not good for business (or your team).
The good news is there are definitely things that can be done when it comes to improving your site and ensuring that it’s as safe and efficient as possible. With that in mind, keep reading to find out what some of them are, so you can put them into practice right away if you haven’t got them in place already.
Prioritise Safety
Safety is what comes before anything and everything else in the construction business – or at least, that’s how it should be. If you run a business like this, you’ll need to make sure safety is your number one priority – without this kind of culture, efficiency can quickly crumble, leading to accidents, delays, and increased costs. Here are some of the ways you can prioritise safety.
Training
If you can give your workforce all the knowledge they need to bypass potential problems, you’ll have a much safer, much more efficient construction business and construction site. Regular training sessions on how to use machinery, emergency procedures, and anything else that’s crucial within your specific area of work will mean your team can make good decisions and work in a much better way for all involved.
Protective Gear
It’s crucial to provide your workers with the right protective gear and equipment to help them stay safe, and to ensure they all know that wearing personal protective equipment (PPE) is non-negotiable – you could even include something to that effect in their contracts. Some of the protective gear they might have to wear includes hard hats, safety goggles, ear plugs, gloves, and steel-toe boots, and they’ll all go some way to shield workers from harm should anything go wrong.
Clear Communication
As well as everything above, it’s just as important to have good, clear communication at all times on your construction site to ensure it’s safe and efficient. This includes signage, safety meetings, and open lines of communication between workers, supervisors, and management. You should also encourage workers to report any issues and make sure they know there won’t be any reprisals if they do.
Good Planning
If you’re doing well when it comes to safety, you’ll certainly have a more positive construction site, and it is potentially going to be a more efficient one because your team is better prepared when it comes to dealing with challenges and incidents. However, that alone, while important, isn’t enough, and you’ll also need to have good planning in place if you want to be as efficient as possible. This can be broken down into smaller parts so it’s easier to deal with and you won’t forget anything.
Project Phasing
One great way to plan a larger project is to break it up into manageable phases, and then give each phase clear objectives, timelines, and resources. In this way, there will be less confusion, everyone will know what they’re doing (and have the tools and materials they need to complete the work), and you’ll be able to track the progress a lot more easily.
Collaborative Scheduling
When you’re working on a construction project, a lot of different trades are usually involved, including plumbers, electricians, and designers. If you can use good scheduling software to ensure everyone knows where they’re meant to be and when, it all becomes a lot easier and a lot less messy. When you’ve got people just arriving on site and trying to work only to find the area they need to work on or in isn’t ready, for example, or when you’re expecting someone to arrive and they don’t, it can all start to go awry and your schedule can come off the track. With everyone using the same collaboration tools, arranging work becomes a smoother, more efficient process, and you can easily check in with everyone involved at any time to make sure they’re happy with the project.
Having Spares And Repair Capabilities
The last thing any construction site needs is for equipment to break down. This causes delays, can potentially be dangerous, and will certainly be an issue when it comes to morale as well – your team might worry about getting their work done or be concerned that the equipment they were using wasn’t fit for purpose, and in either case, they’ll start to get stressed and distracted. That’s why being aware that this can be a problem and ensuring you have measures in place to put things right once they go wrong.
Spare Parts Inventory
It’s wise to know which items of equipment are absolutely essential for the work on your construction site to go smoothly and efficiently so that you can have enough spare parts on site to make repairs should something go wrong. Make a good spare parts inventory that includes compressor repair kits so you can be sure of what you have and so you know if you’re running low on something and need to get more. If this way, you should always be able to make fixes quickly and seamlessly.
On-Site Repair Facilities
It’s a good idea to designate some space on-site for minor repairs and maintenance tasks, as this means you won’t have to take the broken down equipment anywhere to get it fixed, and the repairs can be done a lot more quickly (assuming there’s someone on site with the knowledge to do if, of course). With that in mind, it’s wise to train at least some of your team about how to fix these important pieces of equipment just in case the need arises.
Have Good Partnerships
If there’s no one on site who can make the repairs, or if you have to buy a lot of spare parts, having good partnerships with the suppliers, mechanics, and so on is something that will stand you in good stead. The quicker you can get things fixed or get the parts to fix them yourself, the more efficient your construction site will be.
