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Tips to Prevent Haunting Jobsite Horrors

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10/20/2022

A mature building professional looks up, seeming worried and on the verge of panic at something he can see on his building site.

From job applicant ghosting to malfunctioning equipment and on-the-job injuries, construction company leaders must take stock of everything giving them jobsite nightmares and take steps to fix them.

Understaffing

What happened to all of the skilled construction workers?!

A record number of construction job openings has been making it difficult for some companies to remain deliberate in their hiring.

“The problem is, crisis hiring usually leads to crisis firing,” says Larry Kokkelenberg, Ph.D., a scholar, author, and consultant who has been developing and delivering training programs for 40 years. “Even today, hiring anyone who can fog a cold mirror is a mistake. These types of hires often become problematic within a month.”

Construction companies should still be strategic in their selection process. Kokkelenberg says a construction company owner told him that 5% of recent job applicants have been able to pass a drug test. Why go to the trouble of processing applications from the other 95%? “You can save your company a lot of time and money by simply putting that requirement in the job ad,” Kokkelenberg says.

Similarly, the qualifications section of a job ad can be more specific. “There is a big difference between having experience running a small skid steer and a large wheel loader,” Kokkelenberg says. “When someone says they can operate a front-end loader, what are we really talking about? When it comes to the task work described in a job ad, be specific.”

Character and work ethic should also be screened during the selection process. “There are a lot of interview questions that can help eliminate the wrong people pretty quickly,” Kokkelenberg points out. Avoid asking too many closed-ended questions. Open-ended questions that allow the applicant to talk are more effective. For example, “Tell me something your last supervisor would say is an area you could improve in.”

Finally, companies should make sure their onboarding process is effective. “In construction, it’s all too common to tell a new hire, ‘Here’s your boss, now get to work,’” Kokkelenberg says. “But there is a lot of research showing that someone’s first week on a job determines their attitude toward the company and, ultimately, their longevity with the company.”

Understanding technology 

Mobile technology continues to surge in construction. When the right tools are leveraged in support of a clear management strategy, even small companies can become significantly more efficient.

“It’s really about the immediate access to information and updates to jobs,” says Doug Seyler, Vice President of Implementation & Client Success at B2W Software.

Through a cloud-based collaborative software platform, project managers can push information out into the field. At the same time, managers can get information sent back to them on how projects are going, eliminating the delays and bottlenecks associated with old-school communication.

In the case of B2W Software’s mobile solution, the primary tool in the field is typically a tablet. Project managers can push out information that essentially creates a crew’s daily log. Then the foreman can enter labor and equipment hours, material quantities, etc. to see how the crew performed compared to the budget. This real-time information helps managers make timely adjustments if things aren’t going according to plan.

Additionally, the software can send notifications to foremen when things change. “This way the people in the field get all of this information right away without having to do a thing,” Seyler says. “Then they can just focus on being productive.”

Speaking of productivity, field foremen can send notifications of their own. Perhaps a crew needs a certain piece of equipment or a couple more flaggers. The person in the office can immediately begin filling that request without having to chase people down through phone calls, texts, or emails.

The benefits of streamlined communication can have a big impact on equipment downtime. Foremen can use their mobile software to send repair requests back to the shop. Then a technician can gather everything necessary to complete the repair and head to the site. Furthermore, the fleet manager can take that piece of equipment out of service while it is being repaired so nobody else can schedule it.

That ability to keep all key stakeholders on the same page with the same real-time information is the biggest benefit of a mobile tracking solution. And when it comes to the people working in the field, it can really make a hectic life a lot easier.

“The foreman has all of these capabilities right in his or her hands from the same mobile solution,” Seyler says. “The other nice thing is that it isn’t overwhelming. A contractor doesn’t have to bite off every feature of the software all at once. It’s easy to flood people with data and information. Don’t be afraid to fine-tune it to what you want your people to manage with.”

In addition to a mobile tracking solution, other technologies are helping construction crews improve productivity.

Virtual reality presents an opportunity to help train the industry’s new workforce. Particularly with younger workers categorized as Gen Z, using technology like this can not only be very effective but also help generate excitement among a demographic that has grown up with technology.

Drones represent another trendy technology that has real applications in the construction industry. Drones are being used to survey sites and inspect construction progress, as well as monitor employees and potential safety hazards.

Prevent onsite injury

While technology is providing some excellent new tools to help construction companies improve their safety efforts, nothing can replace solid systems, training, and accountability.

“Inspect what you expect, and always follow up on documentation,” says Kathy Freeman, Executive Vice President of Safety at MCG Civil, a management firm for three heavy civil contractors based in Charlotte, Austin, and Denver. “Safety is about follow-through. Safety can’t stop with what management pushes out. You have to inspect what is being done, as well as support your people so they can be successful with it.”

While inspections do represent a key component of Freeman’s safety program, she doesn’t rely as heavily on them as some safety managers. “I prefer more of a proactive approach where our safety teams go out and train and interact with foremen,” Freeman relates.

Across the industry, a lot of supervisors who have risen in the ranks are simply handed the responsibility of jobsite safety. But they need support. “A lot of supervisors have never led a group meeting before,” Freeman says. “Coaching them on how to do these types of things is an important component of our safety program.”

It’s also beneficial to remain flexible. Successful elements of a safety program from last October might not be as pertinent this time around. For example, you may have done a safety campaign on hand-related injuries last year. But then a new trend emerged, perhaps slips and falls in inclement weather. So that’s what you decide to focus on this year. “We are always reviewing our incident data because a huge part of safety is being prepared,” Freeman says.

Another key piece of data ties to a safety system called “observations.” Crews are required to document observations regularly via a mobile app. An example is an unprotected manhole on a jobsite. Crews are trained to look for things like that, document them, and take appropriate action to correct them. Safety teams monitor what is being reported to ensure that all issues are resolved. “The reality is that safety is everyone’s responsibility,” Freeman reminds. “A system like ‘observations’ keeps everyone focused on that.”

 

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