QUALITY & SAFETY

QUALITY & SAFETY

Quality control and safety represent increasingly important concerns for project managers. Defects or failures in constructed facilities can result in very large costs. Even with minor

Defects, re-construction may be required and facility operations impaired. Increased costs and delays are the result. In the worst case, failures may cause personal injuries or fatalities. Accidents during the construction process can similarly result in personal injuries and large costs. Indirect costs of insurance, inspection and regulation are increasing rapidly due to these increased direct costs. Good project managers try to ensure that the job is done right the first time and that no major accidents occur on the project. As with cost control, the most important decisions regarding the quality of a completed facility are made during the design and planning stages rather than during construction. It is during these preliminary stages that component

Configurations, material specifications and functional performance are decided.

Organizing for Quality & Safety

A variety of different organizations are possible for quality and safety control during construction. One common model is to have a group responsible for quality assurance and another group primarily responsible for safety within an organization. In large organizations, departments dedicated to quality assurance and to safety might assign specific individuals to assume responsibility for these functions on particular projects. For smaller projects, the project manager or an assistant might assume these and other responsibilities. In either case, insuring safe and quality construction is a concern of the project manager in overall charge of the project in addition to the concerns of personnel, cost, time and other management issues. Inspectors and quality assurance personnel will be involved in a project to represent a variety of different organizations. Each of the parties directly concerned with the project may have their own quality and safety inspectors, including the owner, the engineer/architect, and the various constructor firms. These inspectors may be contractors from specialized quality assurance organizations. In addition to onsite inspections, samples of materials will commonly be tested by specialized laboratories to insure compliance. Inspectors to insure compliance with regulatory requirements will also be involved. Common examples are inspectors for the local government's building department, for environmental agencies, and for occupational health and safety agencies. Field personnel must combine good safety and quality practices into their work, however most construction companies manage quality and safety as two independent programs. Integrating quality and safety into a single program can streamline operations and create synergies that improve results. From a management and control perspective, there are similarities between quality and safety programs. Both programs ensure work is done the right way from their viewpoint. Each program has a system of performance standards, verifications, and corrective actions. There is an opportunity to capitalize on these similarities. We believe in producing a quality product and producing it safely," "We have a safety system that has earned national recognition.” Adjustments are necessary to create a single system that serves both quality and safety. Start by specifying materials, equipment, work procedures, and job rules that lead to quality and safety. Related training can present employees with the right way to work, that addresses both quality and safety. Quality inspection procedures can be expanded to encompass safety concerns. Existing inspection procedures can be adjusted to track and record the presence of trained personnel, the use of safety equipment, compliance with worksite rules, and work conditions.As inspections uncover safety problem areas,