Construction work sites are more prone to hazardous risks and injuries. The rate of fatalities in this sector is almost four times of any other industry. The organizations and managers employed in the construction sector have a legal duty to prevent construction site hazards and so they have dedicated job roles and duties. Also, you can prefer a building warranty that covers structural defects, which allude to a lack in a structure where the design doesn’t act in that frame of mind as expected by the homebuyer.
This blog post will dive deep to explain the roles, duties, and work operations of a construction site manager and how the risks and health hazards can be minimized.
Who is a Construction Site Manager?
A site manager also known as a construction site manager oversees operations on a daily to ensure the work is done safely, on time, and within the budget in a construction work environment.
The integral role construction managers play is to guide a building project to completion, coordinating with a team to get the job completed on time and within budget.
There are numerous accidents, injuries, or ill health cases that occur every year within construction work sites. On average, some 81,000 individuals suffer from illnesses and 61,000 get non-fatal injuries, as per the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).
This puts a legal, moral, and financial obligation on the companies and their managers to prevent their workforce from any health hazard. Failure to do so can lead businesses to irreparable damage.
What Does a Construction Site Manager Do?
Managing the practical side of every stage of the build is the job of a construction site manager. They will work closely with architects, surveyors, and other professional workers to do the work. The site manager’s work begins just before construction.
Senior construction site managers take responsibility for the whole project and are also sometimes known as project directors. While junior construction managers work only on a part of a project.
Key Tasks & Responsibilities
As a construction manager key tasks and responsibilities include:
- Supervising & overseeing the project to make sure that the customer’s specifications and requirements are fulfilled
- Communicating with the clients, construction workers, and sometimes the common public to ensure a smooth working process
- Coordination, supervising, and managing the construction workers
- Selecting the right tools and equipment for workers to undertake the work safely
- Conducting regular safety inspections to ensure site safety
- Maintaining & keeping the quality control procedures
- Keeping records of all the work activities
- Finding effective ways to avoid the problems
- Assessing the work area and reducing the risk
- Inspecting design documents with designers, assessors, and engineers
- Maintaining regular communication with clients and representatives
- Dealing with unexpected problems that may occur during the work activity
How to Become a Construction Site Manager?
The most asked question by a lot of individuals is how to start a career as a construction site manager. There are different routes to becoming a site manager. Getting a degree is one of the established routes into safety management.
1. College/University Degree
Numerous institutes offer foundation degrees or higher-level diplomas including relevant subjects like building, construction, civil engineering, estimating, and surveying studies.
2. Apprenticeship/Education
Another great way to start is becoming an intern with a company or an organization where individuals are expected to work a minimum of 30 hours a week. This is a great way to start as the individuals split their timings between on-the-job practical work and studying.
3. On-the-job Training & Guidance
Proper training and guidance are also effective ways employers can encourage within their work sectors.
There are numerous on-the-job training sessions and providers available for the trainees to learn the basics to advance.
Employers and managers must provide their workforce with sufficient knowledge according to the training needs of their workplace. A course like IOSH SHE for construction site managers is a great way to start. Such courses are helpful for people with managerial duties within the construction environment to undertake the work proficiently.
As well as helpful for those who are planning to get into this field of work by providing them a basic understanding of the background, the nature of the risks, and a health and safety plan to ensure workplace safety.
4. Work Experience
Getting on-the-job work experience is a great way to gain vital knowledge and hands-on experience to work safely and become a safety manager. Practical knowledge helps individuals understand the construction site hazards, safety practices to implement, and legal requirements to prevent and ensure safety.
Bottom Line
The construction sector is best known for building, maintenance, and architectural work to structure and create buildings. The career path within this sector is varied and provides a lot of experience and benefits to its work. But the nature of the hazard and severe health risks are also a part of it.
Those in managerial roles and positions need to have sufficient knowledge to cope with the issues within work and must be familiar with their dedicated roles and responsibilities at work.
