Effective Project Management

Section Q Installation and Construction

When we build let us think we build for ever.

John Ruskin. Taken from a memorial in Belgrave Square to Sir Robert Grosvenor, First Marquess of Westminster

The Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015 ⁸ are meant to help the contractor:

• Improve the health and safety in the industry
• Have the right people for the right job at the right time to manage the risks on site
• Focus on effective planning and manage the risk – not the paperwork.

Everyone controlling site work has health and safety responsibilities. Checking that working conditions are healthy and safe before work begins and ensuring that the proposed work is not going to put others at risk requires planning and organization. This applies whatever the size of the site. Indicate whether you are the principal contractor. What role is the client fulfilling?

The project manager must have an understanding of the build process sequence. Within each agreed geographical area, it starts with the civil discipline of excavation for foundations, followed by the mechanical disciplines erecting steelwork and vessels and equipment. A judgement has to be made as to when there is sufficient progress to enable the critical disciplines of piping and cabling (electrical and instruments) to start. The discipline approach has then to be transferred into an area focus and finally transposed back into a systems approach to suit the requirements needed to set the facility to work. However, ...