Make a Construction Environmental Management Plan Quickly

In the present world, where environmental concerns are a subject for governments and civil bodies alike, it may be a shock to discover that many building sites do not even have a functioning construction environmental management plan. Even where the plan is mandatory, construction companies can create plans which are simply unsuitable, and can never be properly implemented in the work site. Because most construction environmental project management plan template designs are so expensive, construction site owners think that they can save money by creating their own. However, the plan they end up with can be wrong, badly designed, or never even used.

Another reason why most construction environmental management plan folders are never looked at by the builders, and not implemented by people working at the site, is because it has been written in complicated styles which are difficult to follow, or contain information which is not suited to the current project's situation. Because these flaws are in the construction environmental management plan template which the writers used to create the document, it is difficult for expert consultants to work out what to include, and what to throw away. This leaves the construction site with a massive folder that cannot be read easily, and does not deal with the environmental issues for the site under consideration.

Creating a construction environmental management plan is not easy, particularly when you consider all the things that have to be included in the design of the plan for it to be effective. Writers must start with a road map - that is a plan of the topics the plan will discuss, the method of implementation, and which staff will be responsible for what elements of the plan. Then the writers must describe how each part of the plan will be performed, with evaluation of each part of the plan, and including details of staff training, documentation, and auditing. Then the writers will consider the Environmental impact, and any legal or governmental obligation. The plans must also include specific requirements which each construction needs, and the forms and records which will have to be produced by this. This policy will then have to be read by everyone working on the site, with proper training being given.

Rather than waste your time by trying to research all this by yourself, it makes more sense to download a construction environmental management plan template, which can then be used to form the basis of the plan which will be used by your construction site. Building the plan up can be done very quickly, in much less than a working day, and the plan will then be ready to implement.

Safety Management Series

I believe that most folks are well-intentioned when it comes to the health and safety of themselves and others. I've never actually met anyone in any company during my over three decades of OHS management plan experience who actually wanted to hurt anyone. I think the problem is that some percentage of employers, managers and workers just don't know what activities they are to engage in to really make their workplace safe. Knowing what to do and how to do those things that make a safe work situation is a fundamental requirement of efficient and effective OHS problem-solving.

Good problem-solving requires us to be both efficient and effective. A problem solved inefficiently only causes other problems. A problem solved ineffectively isn't really solved at all. There are only four possible combinations of being effective and efficient. You either are or you aren't. No matter what state you find yourself in, there are practical things to do to improve not only your results, but the processes you use to achieve those results.

Effectively efficient: Doing the right things right

This is akin to driving a well-maintained boat with a super crew on board with a well-defined plan to get to the other side of the lake. We'll not only accomplish our goals, but we'll do it in record time with few problems, if any, to resolve along the way. The plan is solid, we have the right people in place, and we just need to execute the plan. Then, of course, we need to celebrate our accomplishment.

In managing OHS management plan issues, this means that your own evidence tells you that you are managing safety in a way that results in the creation of safety. You can see the evidence of safety when you look. Workers are working without taking unnecessary risks. You can observe workers following work procedures that they helped develop and are wearing proper protective clothing and equipment. The safety rules make sense to the people who need to follow them and the safety culture is observable. It feels good to be safe. Safety isn't a "program." It's the way that your company does its work.

If you find yourself in the effectively efficient state, then please keep doing what you are doing. Continue to strive to do the right things right. Start to measure not only your activities to make it safe, but the outcomes of those activities. Make sure you celebrate your successes. If you find yourself in the effectively inefficient state, then work on your processes. Refine how you are creating safety by reducing unnecessary steps in your plans and procedures. Engage the people that actually do the work to help you define the steps to efficiently get things done. If you find yourself in the ineffectively efficient state, stop the focus on how you are trying to create safety and think about what you are doing and why you are doing it. Challenge your current practices. Look for evidence-based solutions. Ask yourself why you are doing what you are doing. If you find yourself in the ineffectively inefficient state, then just quit - just kidding! Immediately start with finding out what to do, then think about how to do it in your culture. The road to excellence will be hard work, but rewarding.

Remember that every company is in some state of your OHS management plan development and delivery evolution. Components of what you are doing to create safety may very well be in a variety of states of both efficient and effective.

Ingredients to Effective Contractor Management

If you want to effectively manage workplace compliance, you need to manage your contractors’ compliance. No matter how robust, comprehensive or proven your OHS management systems maybe, if you have a non-compliant, or poorly trained, contractor onsite, it could all amount to nothing if an incident occurs. A reliable contractor management system has to be an essential part of any OHS management plan.

The five essential ingredients of an effective contractor management solution are:

1. A reliable contractor induction system

2. The ability to upload, track and manage compliance related documents

3. Comprehensive reporting capabilities

4. A reliable management plan

5. A dedication to making it all work!

Let's look a bit more closely at these five points:

1. Reliable Induction: While most companies have a contractor induction system in place, it is often out-dated, unreliable. How many companies still throw a handbook at their contractors, or stick them in front of a DVD and get them to sign a form? The fact is, if you track your contractor inductions or your contractors comprehension levels, you're doing very little to improve safe work method statement and nothing to improve compliance. Your first step in contractor management has to be inducting contractors through reliable, induction software with the capability to track inductions, measure comprehension and notify you when an induction needs to be renewed.

2. Capturing Relevant Documents: Insurances, licenses, company details they all need to be captured and checked before contractor even steps onto your site. Once you have them, they need to be managed so that when they expire or become outdated, you are automatically notified. You can then make sure they are renewed before you allow that contractor onsite again. You will also have a record of your activities to help ensure your company's compliance.

3. Comprehensive Reporting: The ability to report up-to-the minute activity associated with your contractor management is at the heart of demonstrating your commitment to safety. It provides you with the information you need to understand the strengths and weaknesses of your contractor management system and sets you in the right direction for continual improvements.

4. Management Plan: Simply having a system in place is not enough. You need to have someone to oversee and monitor how well it's working and leading the charge for continual improvements. If you are building a system in-house, this means assigning someone to oversee the software development and maintenance. If you are outsourcing a solution, make sure you find a company that actually understands, and is dedicated to, the everyday issues of OHS managers, not just a software developing company.

5. Dedication: Without an organization-wide dedication to making the system work, your contractor management solution can fall apart very quickly. At every level, you need to build an understanding of why an effective contractor management system is important and what the benefits to the company are. In most organizations, there are many people involved in the implementation of your OHS management systems. It is likely that they haven't placed much importance on your contractor management in the past. You'll need to make an effort to change that.

Once you have your system in place and have established an understanding of the real differences it can make to your company, a fully functioning contractor project management plan template system has the power to improve workplace compliance and, more importantly, contractor safety.

SWMS Works

Employers or on-site managers must be confident that a Safe Work Method Statement is set for all high-risk actions and tasks before employees are allowed to carry out any kind of work. Experts agree and highly recommend that all Work Method Statements be kept on-site so that they can be quickly delivered to the site without any problems or hassles.

WHAT DOES AN SWMS CONTAIN?

Most people do not really know what an SWMS covers. All they know is that it is a document that helps to promote occupational health and safety. However, this document is clearly more than that. A Safe Work Method Statement must:

• Identify the work or activity that is considered "high-risk" or dangerous

• Clearly state the hazards that are related to the high risk task

• State out what kind of effect those hazards can bring about to a person's health and safety

• Describe what measures should be used to control the risks

• Describe how the risk control measures should be carried out, monitored and assessed.

Besides the aforementioned information, a Method Statement or an MS should also include the following:

• The PCBU's (Persons Conducting Business or Undertaking) name, address and ABN (optional)

• Names and details of the persons who are assigned to perform the high risk task.

• Name of the main contractor

• The site or location where the work is carried out

• The date the MS was prepared

Make sure all information that is stated or included in the SWMS is stated in a clear and straightforward manner. It should be easy to understand and accessible by all workers and on-site supervisors. The MS should not only include a list of safe work practices but also enough information on how to implement the risk controls for a particular task or activity.

WHO BENEFITS FROM AN SWMS?

Initially, only those who are involved in the construction industry benefited from having a Safe Work Method Statement. However, over the years, other businesses and industries started creating their own MS as well. This is hardly any surprise since there are certainly risks involved regardless of the industry or business you are in. There are certain health and safety regulations that must be complied in order to guarantee complete protection for the workers at all times. Companies can create their own SWMS; however there are firms and agencies that also specialize in creating customized Method Statements for a specific field or work.