How do you organize a building site for success? That’s a question that many managers are asking themselves right now. Currently, there’s a drive in the industry towards efficiency, but only a few players are really on top of their game. Most firms are lagging with outdated techniques and strategies that don’t really help them generate the success that they want.
Fortunately, this guide is here to help. We take a look at some of the proven ways to organize a building site to prove productivity, reduce delays, cut costs, and improve safety overall. By the end, you should be able to understand all of the actions that industry leaders are using so you can emulate them in your company.
Create a site plan that actually works
Before you break any ground, you’ll want to start off by creating a site plan that actually works. You’ll want to map things like the project scope and access points, including materials, storage, and equipment placement.
Once you get this right, it massively increases the efficiency of your site. If you know where to put everything, then you’re in a much better position to ensure that things work when you want them to. Construction workers aren’t having to traipse across the site to find a thing. Everything is in the right position. So that they can move quickly and consistently. Once you have a strong plan in place, you shouldn’t need to rework it. It should remain for the majority of the build and follow one from other projects that you’ve completed.
Prioritize safety
Another thing you’ll want to do is start by prioritizing safety from day one. If you can get this right, then you massively reduce your liabilities, and workers also feel like you care for them. Here are some things you can do:
- Add clear signage
- Make sure that all of your walkways are designated
- Control slips and falls
- Add netting around high risk areas
- Put construction workers on new access points
- Make sure the site has secure fencing
If you can complement this with daily hazard assessments, then that’s even better! These meetings ensure that construction workers are always on the lookout for risks that might be dangerous. They particularly focus on fall risks as this is one of the leading reasons people become seriously injured or die on building sites. If the site is safe and organised, it means fewer accidents and delays. Once there’s an accident you have to go through a long audit process, and construction work will often need to stop. To avoid this, make sure that safety is a priority from day one, and that nobody gets hurt.
Design smart traffic flows
Designing smart traffic flow is essential for having a well-organised building site. You want to make sure that you’re minimising the distances between each point that all of your stakeholders need to travel. This includes transport for your pugmill for concrete as well as workers and delivery trucks.
Many companies position material drop-off zones close to work areas. They place them on high traffic paths to reduce workers from having to double back on themselves. If you can zone your building site, then that’s one of the best ways to increase efficiency overall.
Use daily checklists and routines
It might sound incredibly simple, but using daily checklists and routines is a great way to properly organize your site and keep everything working as it should. A lot of managers like to use daily and weekly checklists for things like inspections and clean-up. Building sites can often be messy at the end of the day, but if you have a routine in place to keep clutter at bay, then this can be highly impactful. Workers aren’t entering a messy, dirty building site every day having to work around the clutter. Instead, they’re constantly on top of cleaning and managing the situation.
Establish a strong communication system
At the same time as using daily checklists and routines, establishing a strong communication system is another good way to improve site organization. When you are properly communicating with all the people working for you, it’s easier to keep track of who’s doing what and how your progress is being made. You can use real-time updates for things like tasks, assignments, and document sharing
This is particularly helpful if you have a large team. Once communication is in place, it reduces the risk of misunderstandings and errors. Everybody knows exactly what they’re doing, and they’re able to carry out work for you quickly. What’s more, you can reduce the risk of making costly errors. When you make mistakes, you have to backtrack and fix things. But with ample communication in place, this is less of a risk.
Schedule the sequence of work
Scheduling the sequence of work is critical for construction companies. If you can get the order right, then it massively improves efficiency and reduces delays. One of the best ways to do this is to use a Gantt chart. These charts show you the order in which you have to do things. If these don’t work for you, then you can also use software. These days, computer-based solutions are highly effective and often automated according to industry best practices. Sometimes you can even get templates for odd work and use software to order materials for you in a timely manner when they are required.
Maintain waste and debris management
Finally, it’s a good idea to have a waste and debris management system in place before you get started. Usually during the building process, there’s a lot of waste that you need to deal with. Having a system that gets rid of it for you is ideal.
Most building sites use a chute and skip system. These are simple and cheap to get started.
You can also work with external firms if you find that that works better for you. Having waste zones and a clean-as-you-go policy is ideal.
So there you have it, some of the ways you can organize a building site for superior efficiency.
