Doing a Feasibility Study on a Construction Site - Essay Example

In most cases, construction sites may be located in distant locations from the head office depending on the nature of the project being undertaken. Mostly, skilled people like Engineers may not always be on site but would periodically visit it to assess progress made as well as check on safety procedures. Though most of the production is done by different workers under the direct supervision of different line superintendents as well as foremen who are responsible for supervising the operations of different workers under their control, it is often imperative for Engineers to visit the site quite often to assess if progress being made is in compliance with the safety standards or else they may visit the site in the event that there has been an accident. Indeed, site visiting is not an overnight event hence this essay seeks to outline and explore some of the measures that can be taken when embarking on this particular kind of visit. A contract to construct a project like a shopping complex is often given to a contractor who can in turn subcontract some of the tasks to the others. Basically, the contractor responsible for undertaking the project has all the knowledge about what would be happening at the site but there is every need for Engineers to visit the place to see if there is compliance with expected standards so as to avoid risk of danger such as accidents or injuries or can visit in the event that there has been an accident. First and foremost, it is imperative for the visiting person to gather as much information as possible about the place he is intending to visit. The first thing necessary to do is to obtain as much information as possible about the place from the work provider. The people who are always on site are better informed to have all the instructions and knowledge about the whole area. This is very important since it will give the visitor insight into some of the risks he may expect to encounter. Besides relying on information from the work providers, it is also important for the visitor to conduct personal research so as to gain in-depth knowledge about the area being visited. The advent of new information and communication especially internet has brought about dramatic changes in the way we do business. Google maps are very useful as far as searching information about any subject is concerned. Conducting personal research is advantageous in that the visitor would familiarise with the place even before visiting since there would be more information that can be accessed online. Google searches often provide with all the information about any particular geographical place or subject (http://www.bharatbhasha.com/internet-and-computers.php/27724). In some cases, some areas are prone to earth movements but this information may not be available on the site plan used by the people working there. Such complex information can be obtained from the internet using Google search engine. Basically, gathering as much information about an area before visiting it is very important since this will give an insight into what can be expected to be found from the place. Gathering information about the site to be visited is not an end in itself but just the beginning of a huge task that requires careful planning so as to avoid falling into unprecedented dangers. Work of this magnitude such as construction of a business complex is often characterised by heavy machinery moving different types of stuff from different points hence it is very important for the visitor to have knowledge about parking areas so as to avoid obstruction of construction traffic. The preventive measures that can be put in place include parking the vehicles only in demarcated areas that would not interrupt the smooth movement of the vehicles performing different tasks on the site. In some instances, the earth is loose on a construction site and it might not be recommendable to drive through areas as this would only increase the risk of getting involved in accident. On a construction site, there are areas marked for safe parking and instructions should always be followed so as to minimise the chances of risk. It is very important to ensure that the visitor is fully equipped for the visit by having the necessary equipment available. In the event that there has been an accident, there is every need to take safety precautions so as to avoid the risk of falling into the same trap. A high visibility jacket is very necessary when visiting a locus site as there may be visibility problems owing to misty or cloudy conditions. A helmet is also very important since there may be loose stones or bricks on upper floors being constructed. It is also important to know the traffic rules on a construction site since it is very advisable to take every precaution relevant to the location being visited. In some instances, class 1 for minor roads has a speed limit of up to 30 mph and off road locations, whereas class 2 is for roads with a speed limit of less than 50 mph and class 3 for dual carriageways, motorways and roads with a speed limit in excess of 30mph. In order to avoid accidents, it is important to stick to these speed limits. When visiting a site, it is necessary to carry some stationery and equipment including locus prompt plan, camera, measuring wheel and measure. This is very important in that the visitor would be able to record first hand information on site and can capture some photos that can be used as evidence when investigating the likely causes of the collision or accident. Measurements can be taken which can be used to analyse the likely causes of an accident or can be used as source of information to make suggestions on possible solutions that can be put in place as preventive measures so as to avoid the likely chances of witnessing the same incident in future. It is also important to Visit the site at same time of day and day of week as the incident occurred. This is important in that there can be a rare occasion that is peculiar to that time of the day and can only happen during that period. This is important since it would be a measure put in place to try and exhaust all avenues that may lead to the establishment of all the causes of that incident. Having gathered all the necessary information and equipment required when visiting a site, there is need to conduct a risk assessment on arrival to verify the information previously obtained and to identify if there are any additional hazards. Information previously obtained can be very effective since it will give a hint that is likely to be reliable as far as investigating the cause of the hazard is concerned. This can also be used as a link that can be used to identify further causes of the hazard. It has to be borne in mind everytime that when one visits a site, it is very important to ensure that the vehicle is parked in a safe location where it would not be a hazard to other traffic or pedestrians and plan a safe walking route to the site location. It is important to ensure that the actions of a visitor who is supposed to find solutions to a problem will not cause more problems to an already dire situation. In some cases, accidents at construction sites are unprecedented such that there is every need for the visiting person to ensure that he takes the necessary precautions so as to be better positioned to ensure that he grasps all the important details related to the incident. On a locus visit, the visitor should strive to put effort to gather as much information as possible from the workers and other people who work at the site on a daily basis. These may have first hand information on the likely causes of a disaster given that there has been an accident at the site. People who witness events happening are likely to have first hand information that can be useful in trying to come up with solutions. Getting information from these people is very important since it will increase the chances of making informed decisions which will be based on physical observations from the ground. As part of gathering information relevant to the incident, the visitor should take photos from the side of road or other safe location together with measurements and complete locus prompt plan. This would positively contribute towards the identification of the problem and its likely causes. Photographs in this particular case would be used as physical evidence that can be analysed in a studio. Should there be need to conduct forensic studies as a way of ascertaining the likely causes of an accident on a construction site, it is also important for the visitor to collect debris from the site that can be taken to the lab for further studies. Soil as well as rock samples can also be taken from the site in order to further investigate the likely causes of an incident as well as establishing if there are risks that can be avoided if possible. Soil samples play a very important part if the issue is related to instability of the ground or can be attributed to the other natural causes. There are various problems that can be attributed to soil texture such as water logging, loose soil as well as tectonic movements which may all contribute to disasters at the workplace if due consideration is not taken. It is also very important to observe the type of traffic around the site as well as the traffic flow and behaviour while at the same time taking notes for inclusion in the report. In some instance, traffic flow can cause accidents on the site hence the need to try to come to terms with all the possible causes as a way of getting a wide range of solutions that can be put in place so as to mitigate the chances of the same incident recurring in the future. The visitor should also draw a plan of the road layout with speed limits, road markings, street furniture, signage, hazards, obstructions and establish priority of traffic. When investigating cases involving site accidents, there should be no stone that is left unturned as this may compromise the quality of the results likely to be obtained from the study conducted. In writing up the report after conducting a physical site visit, it is recommended that the visitor should provide physical evidence to support the conclusion of report. Doing a feasibility study on a site requires gathering evidence that can be tangible as a way of trying to generate valid and reliable results that can be used in finding solutions that can be put in place in order to rectify the problem. It should always be remembered that site visits should not only be prioritised in the event of an accident but should be conducted periodically so as to ensure continuous safety of those who are working on the site on a daily basis. Some causes of accidents can be predicted before they happen which is very important as far as taking safety precaution is concerned. Whilst the plan is likely to be the most important single element of the report that will provide a true representation of the collision area, a map providing an overview of the area will also be helpful to the work provider. Against this backdrop, it is also important to obtain the map of the site in addition to layout plan drawn for the building being constructed. A map is important in that it will give the directions to the visitor and it will help remove fears of getting lost while in the process of gathering data or risk collecting misleading information that would not help in getting solutions to a problem. It is important at the time of the visit to be able to have all the facts at hand so as to be able to quickly identify the problem or its likely causes as well as suggest the measures that can be put in place to avoid the occurrence of similar occasions in the future. It can be noted from the step by step process discussed above when visiting a site that it is necessary to put all measures in place that can help as clue towards averting the impact of disasters at sites. Reference Hyder W (N.D.) Importance of the internet. Available at: http://www.bharatbhasha.com/internet-and-computers.php/27724 Accessible on 06 July 2010. Read More