CIF Safety Week 2020: The Importance of Occupational Health in Construction Traditionally, health was the forgotten element of ‘health & safety’. The focus was heavily put on the dangers/risks that would cause immediate harm or injury which are easier to measure. Over the past decade, there has been a transformation, and the occupational health hazards
CIF Safety Week 2020: Improving Plant and Pedestrian Safety on Construction Sites Every site is different and likely to present various hazards and risks. However, a well-designed and maintained site with proper segregation of vehicles and people will make workplace transport accidents less likely. The most effective way of ensuring pedestrians and vehicles move safely around a construction site is
Building Control (Amendment) Regulations 2014 and the Code of Practice for Inspecting and Certifying Buildings and Works (September 2016) requires the building owner to appoint a Design Certifier at the outset of a construction project. The Design Certifier can be a registered architect, building surveyor or chartered engineer. The Design Certifier is responsible for co-ordinating, compiling and
Feasibility Studies All projects simply begin as an idea. An “idea” is a rough notion in our head about something we like or want to do. As an idea is developed, it goes through a fine-tuning process which results in a final form known as a “concept”. Many concepts will never be developed, while some
The ORS Building Surveying team is often asked: “Why are you recommending a property boundary survey when we use Ordinance Survey Ireland (OSI) detail anyway?” A fair question, but the answer is often a little more complicated. The reason for this recommendation is to have a clear picture of the true ground position of the
Energy Master Plans What is an Energy Master Plan (EMP)? Energy Master Plans (EMP) are methods for Sustainable Energy Communities to understand and identify their current situation and projected destination in relation to energy use. EMPs can be used as road maps for communities to achieve significant savings on energy expenditure and waste, focusing on
Project Management Risks and Opportunities Risks and opportunities are present in all projects. Risks are classified as negative effects and opportunities are seen as positive. Risks should be identified at the earliest possible stage of a project. A risk plan and risk matrix are important inputs for a project management plan. The risk matrix assesses
As the easing of Covid-19 restrictions continues, businesses across the country begin the process of reopening. In the best interests of staff and customers, they will be reviewing their premises and business practices to incorporate the “social distance” guidelines. In the rush to comply with these guidelines, we must not overlook that any change to
Temporary works are required for almost every construction project, but understanding what temporary works are and how to manage them adequately is often misunderstood. The Code of practice for temporary works procedures (BS 5975:2019) defines temporary works (TW) as: “Those parts of the works that allow or enable the construction of protecting, support or provide