Category Archives: Construction

Give importance to the safety of workers – They really worth it

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Safety is considered to be an important factor in any aspect of one’s life and when it is concerned with the construction business, safety of workers becomes all the more important. It has been seen that people pay lot of importance to the heavy equipment they possess, they take good care of their finances to ensure that the money is utilized in the most optimum manner, they give a lot of emphasis to their clients to ensure a continued healthy relationship but what they fail to prioritize is how safe they can make the working environment for their workers. Time and again we get to hear news of accidents happening in a construction site and a worker either ends up losing his life or getting grievously injured in the mishap. There could be two possible reasons why accidents are so prone in a construction site and what can be done to lessen it if it can’t be eliminated completely.

Safety measures not followed by the construction company:-

Many construction houses usually shy away from inducting appliances that can change the face of the existing safety issues of the workers. They simply do not have the money to invest it in introducing safety measures or they are least bothered about their safety and well-being. Well, this kind of approach of the employers should definitely change as there are several laws present in the country that talks about strict penalty if the companies are found not incorporating safety measures for the workers. Construction companies in order to maintain their good reputation should not fall into any legal trouble especially if it is pertaining to the safety of the workers. Other than that, they also have to compensate the worker if at all he becomes a victim to any possible mishap. The amount of compensation is huge and the company should think about modernizing its infrastructure that can reduce the instances of accidents rather than spending the money in paying compensations.

Safety measures not followed by workers:-

People working in a construction site are often habituated working in perilous environments and do not have the practice to wear any safety appliances while at work. Therefore, it becomes the onus of the company to prepare stringent safety parameters which should be followed by all working in a construction site. It should not be only limited to workers but also to people inspecting the work. All have to follow the safety guidelines while they are inside the premises. If possible, companies can appoint a person whose work will be to check if the workers are following necessary safety guidelines and when are into doing some perilous work, are they on with their safety equipment. If at all he finds anybody without his safety gears, he has every right to ask him to wear the stuffs before he gets to work.

Sufficient training should be given to workers:-

It is the responsibility of the company to educate its workers of the safety guidelines and explain them why it is important to wear the safety gears. If the workers understand the importance of the gears, they will not be reluctant to wear them.

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Role of a site engineer in a construction jobsite

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Every department in the construction jobsite has their own importance and non-performance of any of the departments can have a drastic impact in the overall functioning of the work. Right from the laborers to the project manager, everybody has a role to play and if the coordination amongst the departments is in order, work can be completed real soon. There is also a need to check the progress of the work and if things are moving as per the plan laid down. The job to monitor the performance of different departments and liaise to their needs is done by a site engineer. His role is not limited to just checking the performance of the several departments working in tandem with each other but have to take care of lot other responsibilities.

At times the work of a site engineer becomes hectic than anybody on the entire jobsite and he also becomes liable to answer his superiors in case if things go awry on the site. He is expected to have complete control on the activities of all the departments. For instance, if the operator working on heavy equipment reports an issue that requires the attention of a mechanic, it becomes the onus of the site engineer to ensure that the mechanic walks up to the jobsite and get the machine fixed. In case if it is not done or he misses calling the mechanic, he is taken to task.

Reading and comprehending the plans and designs:-

The layout of the plan is usually prepared by the team of project engineers. The site engineer can also be a part of the team where things are discussed and everyone in the team is aware of how to execute the plan. The site engineer has the capability to read and understand the diagrams and designs and the responsibility of getting the work done falls completely on his shoulder. Apart from the project engineer and the site engineer, there is perhaps none who has the ability to understand the plan layout and this is why the role of the site engineer is quite crucial. The project engineer work is limited to just chalking out the design and make necessary changes to it whenever required but he does not go out to communicate this to the other departments. This work is done by the site engineer.

Checking the supplies are in order:-

For construction work to move smoothly, it is important to keep a tab on the availability of supplies. You will never know when you are out of stock and therefore keeping the count of your stock is very crucial. The laborers are ideally engaged with utilizing the resources/stocks that is available. They might inform the site engineer about it or may skip that completely. But if the supplies get exhausted and the workers do not have raw materials to work, the site engineer becomes answerable. He has to ensure that the raw materials and other supplies are in place. Also if raw materials have been ordered and are in transit, he needs to check how soon it will reach the jobsite.

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Experienced men are most preferred in the construction industry

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We belong to whatever profession but it has been always witnessed that our market value increases as and when we grow older in the system doing the same job and learning more from it. For instance, a medical student after completing his studies practices under the guidance of senior doctors. At that point in time, he makes less money as he is in the learning phase but after once he completes few years in that profession and enhances his skills, the demand for his service increases and thereby his fee is also augmented manifold. What we get to understand from the instance is that a person who gets to experience different aspect of the business and learns things from them is the one who gets more opportunities in life and simultaneously also has more chance of earning good sum of money.

Medical profession is very different from the construction business and one who wants to make decent money after having completed their civil engineering or have taken up a course of becoming an operator can make their way in this sphere. It is evident that they will not simply start generating chunk of money from the day 1 but as and when they gets attuned to the work and understand it well, their marker price automatically rises. They CV speaks a lot for them and then moving from a low paid job to a higher paid one will no longer be a difficult task.

Experienced men have dealt with different situations:-

People who have dealt with situations in the past do know how to deal with them whenever they arise again in the future. The construction industry is full of situations where one gets to learn something or the other on a daily basis. They come across numerous situations and learn how to deal with them in an effective manner. A newbie joining this industry can expect going to new heights in his career if he manages to stick around in this sector. Ideally, it has been seen that people tend to move off to some other line of business as they are unable to tackle the pressure but the one who can take it up has no limit of growth as he keeps on learning things as and when situations arises and that helps him to grow as an individual and also increases his value in the sector.

They can be good mentors for the new joiners:-

A new kid joining this industry is often tensed as he is not aware what he may have to deal with and therefore he will feel relaxed if an experienced person can come forward and guide him through. There may be numerous obstacles that may come in one’s life but a mentor is the one who will equip the new joiners with his expert advices and make sure that they do not make the same mistake which he had made when he was one like them.

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“Make hay while the sun shines” goes well with the construction industry

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Not every industry has its golden era forever. There are times when they see ups and also times when they also have to see the downs. You name any industry and you will see people related to it cheering during the good times and struggling when things are not so good. So as a business owner it is crucial that you make the most when things are positive in your sector and stay low when things are not doing well. This may not be the only mantra but is certainly an important one when it comes to finding success in any industry. We have often heard the saying “Make hay while the sun shines”. It makes a lot of sense in an industry that is dynamic and has lot of competitors all wanting to make the most. Construction industry is one such sector where people are vying for almost anything and everything.

Construction business owners know one thing for sure that it is pointless to struggle to get business when the overall industry is not performing well. For some it may sound weird when they get to hear that the construction industry is not doing well. They may have the belief that it is most rewarding industry in today’s time and for some reason can never see any downslide. Well as a matter of fact, every industry has a phase when it has to see the bottom and so it is with the construction sector as well.

Companies should have patience:-

Many new companies wind up their business when they do not see work coming. They probably get into the sector when it is trending downwards and since they do not have work in hand, they can’t take care of the operating costs and are compelled to give it up. Well for such enterprises, the only advice would be drastically cut down on the operational costs even if it means running the business from your house. If you have to do that, you should do so. Having an office and paying rent for it can become too strenuous for you to handle especially when things are bad. Therefore working from home becomes the most viable option and also cut down on the workforce. Stick to any small project that you get and learn to work on heavy equipments so that you can operate the machine on your own. This saves the cost of employing an operator.

Be aggressive when the sector is doing well:-

As understood by many, construction sector rewards you well when it is at its peak. You can take the risk and work aggressively to make the most. While you making profits, you got to remember to save resources for times when the business may take a downturn and you have to keep it afloat using those resources. This is why try and be aggressive when others are minting because you also will make lot of money then.

Tool box safety talk

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Over the last few decades, safety of the employees has been on the forefront. Construction companies want their men to be safe at work because any accident can cost the employee as well as the employer dearly which can also lead to closure of work for some days. Now the owners of construction companies can’t afford to remain closed for a single day and therefore they want their men to go safe and sound while they are in the construction site. Now there is something known as “Tool Box Talks” where the employees talk about different kinds of hazards and how to work safely and not fall prey to those hazards. So at the beginning of the shift, they can go through a small session of Tool box safety talk where someone will speak on a particular topic, will explain the reason why the safety tips should be followed and how that will help them to remain vigilant and safe all the time while they are at work.

Things are better understood when they are explained by giving few examples. So a tool box talk will kind of have some examples for the trainees. So they will be given a situation where the person in the example will be a victim to some hazard and then questions will be asked like what are the potential threats that were present in the zone. What could have been done to avoid the danger and taken an approach that is considered as safe. Also if someone already meets such a form of an accident what should be done to save his life? All the employees should remember the emergency contact numbers so that it can be dialed whenever deemed necessary.

Tool box safety talks can consist of any topic irrespective of how small or big one may find it to be. The intensity of the problem is completely dependent on the situation that the person is in and therefore having a tool box safety once every day before the beginning of the shift sounds to be a good idea. The employees who attend such talks on a daily basis have indeed learnt a lot and remain cautious from any potential perils. They have learnt to work safe and more and more construction companies are following this trend. The things that come under tool box safety talk can be anything and everything under the sun. Right from the battery of a construction equipment to learn to give signals to the operators, it consists of just everything.

There are different ways to conduct tool box safety talks. Some does it by way of examples. Some prefer giving live demos. It seems people learn faster when they see demos. But demos can be expensive and therefore some companies strictly stick to examples given in the notes. It also speaks about the do’s and don’ts about every topic that has some peril attached to it. Basically it is all about being safe and tool box talks teaches you exactly how you can be safe while working in a construction site that is often termed as an unsafe zone.

 

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Construction business is all about meeting deadlines

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Construction involves constructing of a building or an infrastructure. It requires collaboration across various multiple disciplines. It comprises different types of professionals such as an architect, construction manager, design manager and a project manager and each of them with their team members. It involves huge financial investment. It is risky but lucrative business. Effective planning allows successful execution of a project. However the projects need to meet the deadlines to stay forefront in this business.

 

Any profession comes with a deadline, which is an external pressure to complete the task of making quality product within a given time period. The reason being the finance invested has to be ultimately regained in terms of profit. In case of the construction business, it is the completion of an infrastructure within a promised time. As ‘Time is Money’, sticking to the timeline of completing the project is the main responsibility of a construction company.

 

Some of the ways to meet deadlines

  1. Being realistic:

Being aware about magnitude of the construction project will give a true estimate of how much time and finance is required for its completion.

2.  Use of Technology:

Many construction companies use different construction management software programs that help keep projects on time and within budget. These programs allow companies in preconstruction planning, to organize a schedule, project budget, manage customer list and so forth. They are easily available in software form or are present in form of apps and can be easily downloaded. Thus, latest technology helps to manage the schedule of projects and complete them on time.

3.  Being foresighted:

Always scheduling the project on time is not easy. There can be many unforeseen developments that can delay the entire construction project such as the adverse weather conditions, delay in shipments, no labour force, contractor overshooting the schedule and more. Thus, project scheduling should be flexible so that construction owners do not lose clients.

4.  Selection of a right manufacturer/distributor for the product:

Developing a relationship with distributors who offer quality products (whether its heavy machinery, heavy equipment, construction material, electrical devices) with fast product distribution channels and easy installation can speed up the project. In addition choosing good quality and economical product is important. This will ensure to meet the deadlines of a project.

5.  Maintaining a Log of the work:

A log or keeping record of the problems faced on the construction site, when they were encountered and how they were resolved. This will be helpful to use these as reference to solve if similar problems arises in future on the same and other projects. This will save time and allow project completion on time.

6.  Selecting professionals and skilled labours and retaining them:

Having right type of skilled workforce will allow superior productivity. Sufficient training should be imparted to the newcomers so that become adept at the work. Having professional and serious workforce ensures completion of projects on time.

7.  Ensuring safety at workplace:

The owners should ensure safety at the site for the workers as well to the customers. This will minimize the accidents from taking place at the workplace and not waste time of the unit in attending to them.

 

The new and experienced entrepreneur’s should be aware of the business and strategies required to complete the projects on time which will make their customer base strong.

 

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Sharing your knowledge on heavy equipment by writing blogs & articles

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Sharing knowledge always helps. It may help the person who wants to know things which perhaps you know and in return you can make some money or can generate contacts through which you can get some business. There are various platforms available where one can share information that can be helpful to the mass. The most common platform is internet where one can write things on his blog and the entire world gets to read it.

Other than this, you can also post information on magazines, newsletters or can even make it to Television. Sharing knowledge on the internet is sought to be the most convenient and favored method in today’s time. If you write something in a newspaper, that will be only read by people who reads that particular newspaper. Newspapers are area/city specific. So if you have written something in a newspaper, it will not necessarily reach out to many people. This is why writing blogs and articles on the internet make more sense.

Articles on heavy equipment are read by many who are associated to this industry and needs to update their knowledge on the subject. There are people who know in depth about different sorts of construction machines often uses internet to spread their message to the public. They have in a way become a brand by writing numerous articles. People do not intend to read any new reader as they do not trust anybody other than the person they have been reading. It is quite a powerful tool and hence should be used with caution. The writer should mention things with caution in his article and must maintain that he does not put in something that he is not so sure about. If he is not sure about anything, he should mention that in the footer of the article.

Good way to share one’s experience:-

An article is perhaps a better way to nice one’s experience to the people. An expert who knows the in and out of construction machines can pick up a different topic and write on it sharing his experience, his knowledge and what he feels should one do in a certain situation. He should also invite others to come up with questions or any doubts after having read his article so that he can clear them all by answering them. He should also share some stories that have indeed happened, the mistakes that he has committed or have seen people doing so that it can be avoided by others. The articles could act as a learning curve for many who are new to this industry and do want to make the same mistakes which the writer has done.

Talk about different kinds of heavy equipment:-

When you are writing articles on heavy equipment, it should not be contained to limited equipment or machines of some selected brands. You have to speak in totality. Most importantly, you should not only speak about the goodies but also point out the negatives. People want to read about different kinds of heavy equipment so give them what they need.

Making of a construction company

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It may sound hard to begin a business when you do not have much experience on how to run it. It will in fact be quite difficult for you to sustain the initial few years and this is to be considered the most crucial period of any business setup. It is during this time that you experience too much of turbulence in your business and many people are compelled to shut their shops. But the one who are able to make it through these rough times are the one who are set to make history. The beginning of a construction business is no different and one has to go through the hardships which a person from some other industry goes through. However, what one needs to understand is till how long they have to experience the turbulence before finding the shore.  For this one needs to ensure that he has the right frame of mind and a sound financial backup that will help through his journey of setting up a mighty construction company.

Know how the industry functions:-

In order to run your business successfully, it is quite imperative to understand how the overall industry functions at ground level. Without knowing much about the industry, it will be futile to go any further with your business. It may lead to severe complications that may catch unaware. Things like how you can take a project, what prerequisites are required, the kind of expectation that one can set upon you and what you can do to fulfill those expectations are crucial. Running a construction business is not a easy one and involves lot of technicalities that the one who runs it should understand and also apply it well.

A bit of experience is always helpful:-

A person who knows how to deal with challenges and overcome them is the one who will find his place in the construction domain. Having little experience on how to run the business is crucial. It actually teaches you to deal with different types of situations in an effective manner without ruining your daily affairs. It also helps to learn to maintain good relation with your clients even when you have surrounded with different forms of challenges some thrown by the clients themselves. It is never easy to keep your clients satisfied as they always expect more from you. But to know the way to keep them content is an art that one can learn only through experience.

Have sound financial backing:-

This is perhaps one of the most important criteria one must consider. Every affair of your business in co-related to finance. You get projects keeping into deliberation the strong financial backing you have to complete the project on time. Your clients gives you work after they are satisfied that you have the resource to pay salary to your employees. You have to buy heavy equipments and that costs you a bomb. Therefore having a strong financial backup or some sort of reserve is imperative when you are about to begin a construction company.

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Mistakes a construction company should avoid doing

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Humans are bound to do mistakes in their lives and so do they also learn from it. Mistakes can happen in any industry and in any profession but there are some mistakes that can be avoided and one will never want them to happen. Mistakes are certainly not pardonable in professions where you just can’t afford to make mistakes. Doctors for that matter are bound to make no mistakes. Similarly, we expect the same from a pilot. But there are others industries where a mistake made, may not be life threatening but can definitely lead to severe loses and one can only try to avoid them. Construction industry is one such industry where you commit a major error and you got to be ready to pay a big price for it. There are few grave mistakes that one should avoid making especially when he is part of the construction segment.

Safety of employees should never be compromised:-

You can’t take human lives for granted come what may. People who are working for you are your men and it becomes your moral responsibility to safeguard their interests and their lives. Therefore, you should provide them with all the equipment and trainings that will keep them safe and sound. By no means should the safety of the employees be compromised. This can pose a big threat to the future prospects of the company and if reported to the concerned authority, you may even have to pay the price by leaving the project or by paying a hefty penalty. Also when you know that a job needs the attention of expert workers, you should know deploy men who are not trained for that job. They may end up injuring themselves.

Title should be clean:-

When you take a new project, you should ensure that the title on the property is clean and it does not have any disputes. These things should be done before you take up the work. In case you are a contractor then knowing about the title will help you to determine where you are heading. You should always keep your hands off from any disputed projects as that will lead you to complications. Check with the title company if there is any dispute on the property and if the title owners are the ones you have been informed holds the property. Projects are held up for years due to non-clearance of title and have become a matter of huge concern.

Never miss out on your finances­:-

The financial part of the company plays an important role in determining where the company is heading. Construction companies are known for not able to keep a tab on their finances. Money is needed to buy raw materials, heavy equipment, paying salaries to employees and taking care of other operating expenses but it all should be recorded or else you will not have any clue where your money went and what you can do to prevent unwanted expenses. Keeping a log of all your transactions is the need of the hour for every construction company and it may turn out to be a big mistake if not managed at the right time.

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Take sound decisions if you are new to the construction industry

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When you are inexperienced you may not get it right the first time. You be into any profession, you need some amount of advice and guidance in order to learn things in a better way. Simultaneously, you are also unable to take the right decision when you do not know the difference between what is going to be beneficial for you and what will turn out to be a drastic debacle. It is quite important to first understand the subject properly before you get into it in order to take the right decisions in life. Your decisions will be quite circumstantial in nature. It will vary on the basis of the circumstance that you are in. One such industry is the construction industry where people find themselves in a tight spot over taking the right decision. The circumstance may be such that they will find it difficult to analyze which way to go.

Taking up of new projects is one such example where people do not know if they should be accepting the new project or wait for the existing ones to get over and then jump on to it. Ideally, when a construction business owner is given a new business, the giver expects him to get going with the work but the irony of the construction company is that he has to first wind up the existing work he has got in his hand and then only can deploy his resources for the next assignment. The other option is he can get more resources for the new project and start with the work but then once the work is completed in the next 2 years, he will have to do away with all his resources provided he has managed to get more work. But a construction company can’t perform on assumptions of events that may happen after a couple of years.

In this case, the company is in a dilemma if it should take it or leave it. Leaving the project will also have repercussion that the company has to face. It may be out of work for few months after the completion of the existing one and that is definitely not a good sign for any business. So situations like these can leave any construction company owner under stress and when it comes to a new company, one can only imagine how difficult it will be for him to take the right call.

Now when it comes to taking right decision, you need help from others and that others have to be an expert in the same domain. A new guy in the construction industry may have a mentor who is a guiding force for him. He should reach out to him for advices. He may get something phenomenal from his mentor which will help him to take control of the situation and eventually take the right decision for the company. The difference between making money and losing everything is nothing but taking sound and unsound decisions.

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