A Misused Word

One of the most misused words used in the construction industry is ‘competent person’¹.  Any construction site manager after completing a one day IOSH Working safely course² may consider him or herself as a competent person.  Sometimes a job title such as ‘site manager’ makes someone to be considered as a competent person.

So what is the correct definition of a competent person?

HSE³ defines a competent person as

“someone who has sufficient training and experience or knowledge and other qualities that allow them to assist you properly. The level of competence required will depend on the complexity of the situation and the particular help you need.”

However, in the definition of competent in the HSE Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015⁴ competent means

“to perform any requirement and avoid contravening any prohibition imposed on a person by or under any of the relevant statutory provisions”. 

Which means someone who:

• • is able to perform a job effectively
  • can identify whether their surroundings or work area is hazardous or dangerous not only to themselves but others
  • has the knowledge and authorisation to take corrective action quickly.

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Basically in terms of a competent person in the construction industry, this means that the individual is knowledgeable and in charge. Yet, being a competent person isn’t just about the level of training a person has received. Nor is it simply a matter of being in a managerial role and certainly just not matter of being designated.

Knowledge and Action

A competent person in construction is one who:

1. Knows the hazard is likely to exist
2. Knows how to control and eliminate the hazard
3. Has been given authority to promptly correct the hazards

Experts say that a competent person should not be chosen lightly. This is because he or she needs to be qualified to identify and tackle the hazards associated with a particular operation.  For instance, if work is being performed on scaffolding, the competent person must be knowledgeable about scaffolding hazards.  This knowledge can usually come from a combination of person’s skills, experience and training.

The Role of the Competent Person

The role of competent person has traditionally fallen on the shoulders of first line supervisors.  However, the first line supervisor is often least prepared for the task. It may be that he or she isn’t capable of recognising a particular hazard. That they don’t know the right way to tackle a hazard.  Or they haven’t been given sufficient resources to deal with the hazard, or they simply don’t want to deal with it. In overseeing the work for quality, scheduling and other requirements, the supervisor often fails to recognise the critical importance of identifying and correcting hazards promptly.  As a consequence, that person, regardless of any kind of designation or training, simply isn’t being competent for purposes of HSE – more importantly, preventing accidents.

Number of Hazards

The frequency of inspections for safety is based on the degree of hazards at a project. On one day, a competent person will be in the site office catching up on necessary paperwork, and the next, three contractors will be working on top of each other requiring greater attention to safety oversight.

At all places at all times if hazards are always coming and going, how can one possibly predict every unsafe act or condition?  The answer again is simple. One can’t.  What is possible however, is a competent person’s understanding that if specific work rules and guidelines are regularly spelled out and are uniformly enforced, then hazards can get eliminated as they are identified. This allows the workers themselves to become competent – shouldering a lot of the safety burden in the process.

As Judith Hackitt, HSE’s Chair said⁵,

“the essence of competence is relevance to the workplace. What matters is that there is a proper focus on both the risks that occur most often and those with serious consequences. Competence is the ability for every director, manager and worker to recognise the risks in operational activities and then apply the right measures to control and manage those risks.”

Competent person vs. Qualified person

In addition to a competent person, some HSE and other international regulatory standards sanction the designation of a ‘qualified person’.  Experts are quick to point out that although the two have some similarities, notable differences also exist⁶.

While a competent person should be able to identify hazards around them and has the authority to take action to mitigate them,  a qualified person is required to have a recognised qualification such as a degree, certificate etc. They might also have considerable experience and capability to solve problems that arise, including possibly technical knowledge or interpersonal skills for a specific work place issue.

For example, in a trenching operation, a competent person must be able to identify hazards within the operation and solve those issues; a qualified person however has the knowledge to design the protective system in the trench.

It may be possible for a single individual to be both a qualified person and competent person, but it may not be possible for every situation.  In the end, a competent person may not be a qualified person just because of the different degree of knowledge and training that’s required but they do need to demonstrate they are competent in the role they have been given.

Sources

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¹ Main source for this article Safety and Health Magazine http://www.safetyandhealthmagazine.com/articles/what-is-a-competent-person-2

² IOSH Working safely course https://www.iosh.co.uk/Training/IOSH-training-courses/Working-safely-course.aspx#coursedetail

³ HSE a Competent Person http://www.hse.gov.uk/involvement/competentperson.htm

⁴ HSE Managing Health and Safety in Construction: Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015 http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/books/l153.htm

⁵ HSE On what is competence http://www.hse.gov.uk/competence/what-is-competence.htm

⁶ Safety and Health Magazine http://www.safetyandhealthmagazine.com/articles/what-is-a-competent-person-2

 

Construction companies have a general belief that they have a good engagement with their workforce. The argument always is that operatives need management to demonstrate a more active interest in their on-site safety.

On most construction sites today you will find a plethora of signage, notice boards, information sheets, posters, etc which indicate safety instructions.  How much of this is actually read and absorbed by those on-site remains questionable.

There has been a significant increase over the last 10 years in site signage and tours carried out by non-safety members of the team, however the level of true engagement with operatives has not increased proportionally.

Construction has always been accepted as a high-risk industry and although safety is now a top priority on most sites, this is often done to gain positive PR and future commercial gain rather than a genuine interest in the well-being of the operatives on-site. The issue here is that we’ve got to a point where ‘worker engagement’ is the new buzzword and companies claim to do this to tick the corporate social responsibility box, even though, ironically, they are failing to engage meaningfully with the workforce.

Participation of the worker

Many construction sites encourage worker participation, and many even have safety forums or meetings run regularly by operatives, the outcome is rarely communicated to those on-site who are not actively involved. A simple solution to this would be to ask the operative who attended to give a brief toolbox talk the following morning, highlighting the issues raised and the solutions offered. This provides a quick win for the company and allows full 360° feedback, encouraging participation.

By its sheer nature, construction is a transient industry and therefore any training or induction with the operatives needs to be done at the start of the project and needs to be extremely effective. If you miss the boat, it’s pretty difficult to win back their attention. During the set-up phase, a lot of communication is done via email or intranet, which is great when the site is remote and head office wants to share news.

However, the operatives are forgotten as these guys do not usually have access to a computer on-site, let alone company email accounts and therefore tend to miss a lot of the initial correspondence. Some companies use notice boards as a solution to this. The problem with this is ensuring that the information is updated as sometimes you just see boards with notice upon notice that no one has had a chance to take down or update, and understandably operatives quickly stop bothering to look.

A regular two-way conversation with those in the office and those on-site is something that should be scheduled in and adhered to starting from day one and continued through to handover.

Health & Safety site tours

Recently, many companies have started to introduce director/senior management site tours. They feel it demonstrates to the client that they are taking safety seriously and it truly is a case of ‘leading by example’. Unfortunately, such tours tend to be a great PR activity as well as a big tick for corporate social responsibility and they fail to produce any meaningful engagement with the operatives.

Sometimes lack of on-site experience for the upper hierarchy management means they don’t empathise with the operatives. While the directors listen to what is being said, they don’t always hear what they are told.

A fundamental issue with these tours is that they are done so infrequently that when the senior managers finally get out on-site they are far more interested in progress and have little or no time for safety. The viewpoint of an operative and management differs as well, where an operative may see a leading edge with poor edge protection or unsecured prop, management see a delay to the project schedule, which converts to an often significant financial loss. The problem is, the financial loss from a delay, regardless of the cause, is tangible, whereas significant financial gain from safe sites and healthy operatives is too often invisible and difficult to fully comprehend.

More directors need to get out into the coalface to get some meaningful engagement with the operatives and truly understand the issues. The directors need to gain an insight into the work, environment and challenges facing the operatives that no other communication can provide.

Surely companies could set aside at least a day in the year where senior managers can get out and visit on-site work? No emails, internet or meetings should interrupt the day and it should be spent with the workforce, including break times in the canteen, not back at their desk.

Getting senior managers on-site will convey the sort of message that no briefing, email, policy or poster ever can. If done correctly, this approach demonstrates that management is genuinely interested in the issues facing the workforce and how it can help.

Most of the times operatives on-site don’t talk to senior managers let alone directors, possibly because they see it as a massive ‘class barrier’,  one that is perpetuated by the lack of site presence from management.  Seeing the management get stuck in and work alongside the team would help go a long way to break the barrier that inevitably develops on-site.

Operatives need to know what to do if something happens on-site, and the key thing for management is to ensure that every single person leaves the site quickly and safely. Sometimes operatives are advised to continue working until emergencies arrive.

‘Worker engagement’ is the latest buzzword to be moulded into a great PR exercise for the construction industry. While most companies genuinely believe they are great at it, most of the operatives have given up trying to tell them that they are not being heard.

They don’t want signage or posters that show what the site looks like before and after; they want real change based on the requirements of what they are doing. Sometimes it is good to go back to basics, talk to operatives and, most importantly, listen to what they have to say.

Source: SHP Online

Employees are undoubtedly the most valuable assets of a construction company. The long-term success of a contractor depends on the retention of their key employees. Recent changes in the construction labor market have made it even more important to implement a robust retention strategy.

The recession period witnessed a drop in the construction workforce and there were no new recruits entering the market to replace those who left the industry or retiring. This shortage of construction labour can be seen at all levels, from professional employees to workers in the skilled labor trades.

When a construction company hires new workers, it is in the best interest of the company to do everything possible to retain these workers. A successful retention strategy must be in place from the moment a new employee is hired. As per studies and estimation, one out of every five employees will quit within their first year of employment. Nearly 20 percent of those who resign will leave during their first 45 days. Developing an onboarding program and following the process is one of the simplest and smartest strategies a construction employer can use to successfully limit loss and build long-term loyalty among employees.

ONBOARDING BUILDS A SOLID FOUNDATION

Onboarding, otherwise known as organisational socialisation, is a structured process of welcoming and inducting new employees to a company. An onboarding plan should provide more than simple job orientation and training. The process should also offer mentoring, support, and information about the company culture and organisational structure. Today’s construction firms should design onboarding programs that teach all the foundational basics a person needs to know in order to achieve success with their new employer.

ONBOARDING PROGRAMS SAVE EMPLOYERS TIME AND MONEY

Implementing an onboarding program does not have to be expensive or time consuming. In fact, an onboarding process can save time and money in the long run for a construction company. The costs of recruiting, interviewing, hiring, and training new employees are some of the biggest investments that a contracting firm must make. A thoroughly designed and executed onboarding process can increase the return you get on those investments.

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Effective onboarding programs can also affect employee turnover rates in a positive manner. Turnover is thought to be one of the most expensive costs contractors bear as it leads to wasted time and resources as well as lower rates of productivity. Reduction in company’s turnover rate can also help boost the success in recruiting candidates. A firm with a high retention rate of employees is more likely to be perceived as a desirable employer, whereas a firm with a high turnover rate may develop a negative reputation in the marketplace.

Construction labor market has always been tight and there are many skilled and talented candidates seeking the kinds of job opportunities a company has to offer. An onboarding program encourages new recruits to stay with the company by easing the stress of transition. By creating a comprehensive onboarding process and its correct implementation, employees will feel less stress and will have more loyalty while cultivating their talents.

HOW TO IMPLEMENT AN ONBOARDING PROGRAM

The Onboarding process should start during the recruitment phase. Any questions asked by a prospective new hire must be answered throughout the interview process. Keep candidates informed about everything at every step of the way. This demonstrates that your company is well organised and supportive. When an individual accepts a position, maintain communication with that person and keep him informed right up until their start date.  Doing this will enable the new employees feel welcomed and better prepared when they arrive for their first day of work.

On an employee’s first day on the job or site, a comprehensive induction program must be in place that goes beyond employee handbook basics. As part of this program, new hires should also receive:

• A clear statement expressing the project’s mission, goals, and values
• An in-depth job description that includes objectives and responsibilities
• Organisational charts with names and titles that show the chain of command

Most importantly, an effective induction should provide job-specific training that demonstrates a long-term commitment toward employee development. Make sure that a senior seasoned professional integrates with new hires.

ONBOARDING CAN IMPACT YOUR BOTTOM LINE

Having an onboarding process in place will minimise the amount of time it takes for new employees to reach their full potential, while maximising their loyalty to the company. This can have a big impact on your bottom line. Already a shortage of workers serious enough to affect project costs, completion and productivity is being experienced by contractors and construction firms. Proactive companies  who implement strategies designed to increase retention are already achieving more success than their competitors.

There are not enough students currently enrolled in construction educational and training programs to meet current demand of skilled labour. Employee retention is going to become even more critical to the success of a construction company in the future. If a company does not already have an onboarding program in place, then it should begin crafting one now.

Onboarding can be a valuable part of retention strategy that allows companies to deliver complex building projects on shorter timelines and with fewer backlogs, ultimately paying large dividends in cost, time, productivity and quality.

Source: Construction Magazine

The construction industry’s reputation has come under criticism thanks to BBC Newsnight’s revelation that some workers having been cheating and paying cash to gain CSCS cards.

The investigation is widely seen as highlighting the fact that these industry cards are poorly policed thereby putting site workers health at risk. 13 testing centres have already been shut down as a result of the investigation and  the CITB has also suspended applications from companies seeking to become qualified CSCS testing centre.

The exposé by the Newsnight programme showed card training scheme supervisors accepting cash to help reporters posing as candidates pass tests. The CITB is now set to take stock of the ongoing fraud investigation and will continue to work on installing CCTV cameras at testing centres.

The exposure has been warmly welcomed as it will now restricts prospective employees from entering sites on the basis of simply paying over money, rather than learning and understanding the competencies necessary for safely working on site.

The CITB is now contemplating liaising with CSCS on whether individuals who have received cards should be asked to retake their examinations.

Fraud involving CSCS card allotment has been a thorn in the industry for a long time and has been reported by various media outlets in the past decade.

The construction industry is one of the most dangerous employment sectors in the UK with death toll of over 200 workers in past five years. As an industry, the CSCS card is the minimum benchmark which has to be trusted to accept workers on the site to operate. The Construction Leadership Council agreed in January this year that clients and contractors should only accept card schemes with the CSCS logo.

The CSCS is now working closely with awarding bodies  to identify and take action against those attempting to commit fraud against construction employers.

Serious doubts have been raised about the value of these cards now and the questions of safety have extended into the minds of every parent who was coming around the idea that the construction industry was a good prospective career choice for their son or daughter.

Salary and job satisfaction play a part in consideration whether a parent support the industry or not as a career path for their kids, but if the construction sites and employees aren’t perceived as skilled and safe, those considerations start to fade away.

Going forward, the industry must remain vigilant.and fight together against card fraud. Where any suspicious activity is seen, it must be reported immediately. The card schemes are so important in maintaining safety and standards in the construction sector, and great strides have been made in this area recently.

Several people are killed in construction accidents with around 40 a year losing their lives. Without ridding the industry of the small minority of dodgy characters looking to make quick cash in charge of training, we will quickly see the industry return to the bad old days when health and safety wasn’t the main priority.

 

Source: Construction News & BBC Newsnight Programme