Reduce Injuries on a Construction Site

Reduce Injuries on a Construction Site

How to Reduce Injuries on a Construction Site

Reduce Injuries on a Construction SiteAccording to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), 1 among 5 workplace injuries is a construction worker. This shows us how hazardous commercial construction sites are. However, the industry’s ability to adapt has also made it easier for companies to identify the underlying causes of injuries. In turn, this has helped find ways to tackle those issues and reduce the rates of injury on site. Today on our blog, our Sacramento construction general contractors will be covering how to reduce injuries on a construction site.

Hold safety meetings regularly.

These meetings should be held every day, especially if your commercial construction workers are undertaking high-risk work.  Our friends over at McQuillan Brothers, emergency plumber Minneapolis, regularly implement safety meetings into their weekly schedules. These meetings highlight the importance of safety. Additionally, they remind the employees of the dangers identified during risk assessments while reminding them to stay focused. Addressing relevant issues that apply to the job-specific site information ensures that employees know the exposure points.

Conduct a Real Risk Assessment

Before a project begins, a commercial construction site should be inspected for any potential or unusual hazards. These inspections will allow you to develop a proper safety plan that takes into account these potential hazards. Alternatively, you can also have a job hazard analysis carried out on the site. This has proven itself as a savior, both for working capital savings and human lives. 

Additionally, for each potential hazard observed, a corresponding list of preventive measures should be compiled then implemented. A risk assessment document should then be provided for all workers during a safety meeting. The brief will highlight the right education, information, and training required to stop injuries from occurring on site.

Stop Falls Before They Occur

Falls are among the leading cause of injuries in the construction sector. They are also the leading cause of death in the industry. They make up about 33% of all construction injuries. Installing fall protection systems can go a long way in preventing a large number of construction fatalities from occurring. These protection systems include screens, guardrails, canopy structures, toe boards, scaffolding, and nets. For scaffolding, it is important to ensure that it is constructed well and installed properly to hold the intended weight. Scaffolding should also be inspected regularly by a qualified Sacramento commercial builder. Other protection methods include a lanyard or a safety harness.

Maintain Equipment and Conduct Checks Regularly

The machinery used in most construction sites today requires a lot of down-time responsibility, including inspecting the equipment regularly and maintaining it. More than 75% of struck-by injuries result from heavy machinery like cranes or trucks. Thoroughly and regularly conducting maintenance checks on this equipment will increase your ability to stop malfunctions. This is huge, as these malfunctions may cause serious injuries.

Use Protective Gear and Clothing

Workers should, at all times, wear the recommended safety equipment for their jobs. This may include goggles, a hard hat, gloves, high-visibility clothing, a protective suit, or steel-toed shoes. During the summer heat, outdoor commercial renovation Sacramento workers require nape protectors, wide-brim hard hats, and long-sleeve-lightweight shirts. These will help protect them from the sun’s harmful UV rays.

Ensure the workspace remains clean

Keeping the worksite clean and free of debris will reduce the chances of a commercial builder sustaining injuries and preventing worksite accidents such as falls, trips, and slips. Employees are encouraged to put away their construction materials and tools when done with the job. Walkways should also remain free from debris at all times. This will help avert any accidents that include falls and slips.

Exercise caution with vehicles

Many commercial construction site accidents usually involve vehicles. Workers should practice parking, backing, and defensive driving. Commercial construction companies in Sacramento can organize periodic refresher courses to sharpen construction equipment and vehicle operators/drivers’ skills.

Use the Equipment in the Right Manner

Using construction equipment or tools for something they are not designed for may interfere with the manufacturer’s inbuilt safety features.  Misusing equipment may also cause damage to the equipment, which may cause injuries to employees. 

Furthermore, any equipment used in construction sites should meet OSHA standards.

Develop a safety culture

Repeating safety information and warnings every day will help your workers but only to some extent. At the end of the day, working as a team to willfully approach safety will prevent construction fatalities. When your workers make an effort to conduct their own safety protocols and risk assessments, they will help prevent injuries by awareness and active discussion.

Headwaters Construction Inc. hopes that you consider all the useful information on injury prevention discussed above and implemented it on your construction site. If you have any inquiries about the services we provide or would like to learn more about our company’s services, please contact us today.

Phases of a Commercial Build-Out

Phases of a Commercial Build-Out

Understanding the Phases of a Commercial Build-Out

Phases of a Commercial Build-OutThere are many different phases of a commercial build-out. This entails a very long and detailed process, which can be frustrating with codes and regulations. Hiring a Sacramento commercial builder like Headwaters Construction Inc. to manage your project from the beginning to the end can help. This will help decrease your frustrations significantly. However, you must have some basic knowledge of each stage of the build-out. In turn, this will help decide who would be the contractor for the position. 

Knowing what each stage entails makes it easier for you to learn whether a contractor is up to the task. Additionally, it may keep you from incurring unexpected costs or delays. 

The following are the commercial build-out phases.

Design Stage

This is the stage where blueprints are designed. Structural engineers and architects are usually the ones who sign off on commercial building plans. Hiring the right Sacramento general contractor allows them to work directly with the engineer to accurately develop and implement the design.

When approaching the design reading stage, it is helpful to have commercial construction companies on hand. They will ensure that the end product built is the vision that the design carried in the long run. 

The main purpose of the design stage is to make sure that the building will be ideal for its intended use. Keeping the design of a commercial build-out functional is a good idea. You can then explore and incorporate various energy-saving elements and methods. This will be beneficial in the long run.  

Plan Approval Stage

Now that you’re done with the designs, we now venture into the plan approval stage. Here, your plans are checked against zoning restrictions and building codes to ensure that they are compliant. Your commercial builder should be capable of handling this with ease. To avoid non-compliance, have your contractor guide you from the beginning of the design process. Hiring an expert Sacramento tilt-up contractor ensures that your plans have covered the basic rules and guidelines.

Our friends over at Turek’s Plumbing, Appleton Kitchen remodel company, provided us with some great advice. Since they are in Wisconsin, they have different codes for the harsh winter. They advise that if you live in an area with additional codes for weather permits, such as Florida, you will need to ensure that your plans take that into account because of hurricane season.

Additionally, your building plans will need to be approved with sewer lines. The plans have to not only suit your needs but those of the location as well. This is why hiring an experienced general contractor in Sacramento from the get-go is important as they will advise you on all of these regulations. 

Work and Special Permits

Ensure that the commercial construction company you hired has craftsmen who are certified. In addition to this, your contractor should also know what permits apply to your commercial building project. Having your general contractor dealing with permits is both an energy and a time saver. This is because some additions to your project design may require special permits.  Your contractor is in charge of the permits, also makes them responsible for all questions raised.

Materials Needed

The matter concerning materials boils down to the trust relationship you have with your general contractor Sacramento. This is unless you are very knowledgeable on all things construction materials. While the temptation to use cost-effective materials may beckon you, you must explore all the risks involved before making your decision. Having your contractor advise you on whether this may be a good idea is highly recommended. Ensure that the grade of materials to be used is of good quality. 

Additionally, your material choice may be dependent on the environment or its intended function. Some materials may also be regulated in some cases due to the weather.

Beginning Construction

There are several stages involved in the construction phase. The construction is carried out in these stages:

  1. Laying the foundation
  2. Mechanical installations
  3. Installing roofing 
  4. Finishes

It should be noted that before construction can move to the next phase, a municipal authority official needs to assess the stage and give the go-ahead for the project to continue. Headwaters Construction Inc. cautions that this is the phase that experiences the most delays. As follows, even if the paperwork is in order and all, there may be a delay. A lot usually happens in this phase, so you should accept from the beginning that things may not go according to your timeline. 

However, your ground-up construction contractor should keep watch for any delays that may occur in the future and find ways to prevent them from happening so that the project can meet its deadline. 

Managing the Building Process

The last stage in this phase is managing the building process. Here, your contractor should also supervise any sub-contractors that may be on-site and relay information on the project’s progress at every stage.  

With the right set of professionals and an expert contractor from a reputable commercial construction company, any project, no matter the size, will run smoothly without any hitches. Headwaters Construction Inc. is just the commercial builder for you if you want a hassle-free project. Contact Headwaters Building today and let us discuss how we can bring your dream to reality.

Commercial Construction Purchase Orders

Commercial Construction Purchase Orders

Must-Knows of Commercial Construction Purchase Orders

Commercial Construction Purchase OrdersCommercial construction purchase orders are messages sent to sellers from their buyers. It comes with a product order request. Basically, they are contracts that bind the seller and the buyer through the sale of a product. A purchase order should include quantities, descriptions, discounts, and the commodity price in question. In principle, they should also include shipment dates and state the terms of payment.  Today on the blog, our team covers all of the must-knows of commercial construction purchase orders.

The Basics of Construction Purchases

Sacramento commercial construction purchase orders are crucial in the construction industry. This is because the contract shows the two parties in agreement: the seller and the buyer.

When the seller accepts a buyer’s purchase order, a legally binding contract is formed between them. The seller must highlight specific information about the commodity. As follow, the buyer must make a clear request to help avoid confusion in the agreement. 

So, what should a construction purchase order list?

  1. A clear description of the commodity to be bought
  2. The commodity’s quantity
  3. The price of the product, as well as the discounts, are given for it.
  4. The terms of payment 
  5. The dates the product can be shipped to the buyer.
  6. The seller’s identification
  7. Any other terms and conditions 

What is the Importance of Purchase Orders?

Purchase orders are significant to Sacramento commercial builders because they act as instructions to the seller. Additionally, they express the definitive legal expectations for the buyer. A purchase order will help determine where something went wrong. Even better, it will say who made a mistake if a deal went south.

Commercial contractors in Sacramento organize their purchase orders so that they have jurisdiction if the deal goes sour. The ground-up contractors should also remember to always use purchase orders for every single supplier and purchase. This is true even with suppliers that they may already have existing relationships with. It will help ensure the project stays on track and finishes within the budget and on time.

Below are a few problems that the construction industry deals with regarding purchase orders. 

Outdated Methods of Storing Business Information

Many commercial contractors in Sacramento use the legacy system of keeping records, which, apart from accounting, serves no other purpose for any other business functions. This old system also offers no right way to store purchase orders. Because many commercial construction companies remain limited while using outdated ways of storing data, many find themselves lacking a centralized location where they can store all the business information. This leaves the communication channels between various departments disorganized.   

Manually Processing Information

Many of these construction companies in Sacramento, who use the legacy system, also process their information manually, leaving more room for errors. 

Observation of the complications that many subcontractors experienced led SaaS developers to realize that a change in the current operating system was needed.

Specialized Construction Software Benefits to Manage Purchase Orders 

Specialized construction software provides contractors with a refined and much better system for tracking and managing their purchase orders. The software allows buyers to:

  1. Create purchase orders and trace the material costs through labor activity
  2. Allows the office to follow a project’s progress in detail by communicating instantly when the products are delivered to their destination

The software has also helped many commercial construction companies to grow their sales volume with less office staff.  Additionally, the software works to update the dates of material/product delivery. Our friends at Specialized AV, an audio and video company in NorCal, agree that specialized software makes things easier to manage.

Using digital systems also eliminates the use of paper or physical documents. In turn, it is a reduced demand for manual labor in the office. This has significantly lowered the chance of errors occurring during computing while also increasing efficiency.

Strip mall construction companies using the latest software have also observed a growth in the collaboration between various departments of the companies. Additionally, having an established location to store information allows different departments in a company to share information easily and without delay. Furthermore, office employees can also:

  1. Complete purchase order tracking
  2. Receive faster approval
  3. Control access permissions
  4. Access real-time payment status

Our neighbors over at Gilmore Heating Air & Plumbing, a Sacramento plumbing company, also use professional software to manage their work better. All these eliminate confusion and allows for optimum efficiency both in the field and in the office. 

Commercial Construction Planning in Sacramento

In conclusion, we have seen just how important purchase orders are for sellers and buyers of construction products. These services hold both parties accountable for their established agreement. We have also discovered the role of subcontractors in play. This guide above, if followed to the letter, will help boost both a company’s profits and efficiency by creating better purchase orders that can be handled easily.

If you are looking for a commercial construction company that has optimized all its operations and uses the latest technology, look no further than Headwaters Construction Inc. Contact us today! We look forward to meeting all your commercial construction and renovation needs in Sacramento, CA.

Ensuring Your Project is Delivered Faster

Ensuring Your Project is Delivered Faster

How to Ensure That A Construction Project is Delivered Faster

Ensuring Your Project is Delivered FasterCommercial construction projects require much planning, leaving many individuals wondering how to ensure that a construction project is delivered faster. Today on the blog, our Sacramento construction general contractors share all they know about ensuring your project is delivered faster.

Lookahead Schedules

Unfortunately, failing to plan efficiently may result in delays, which may push your deadline further and waste resources. This may lead to overspending and the creation of conflicts among stakeholders. To help with planning, many Sacramento construction companies use a lookahead schedule to help them plan and avoid any hitches. A lookahead schedule is a three to six-week plan highlighting the objectives and tasks of a strip mall construction project for the next 3 to 6 weeks.

This planning mode is an important part of the general schedule and is also used in weekly progress meetings. This makes it an essential part of the main plan. 

Without a lookahead schedule, members of a ground-up project team would have no clear outline of what needs to be commissioned, what needs to be ordered, and what deliveries are pending for the Sacramento commercial construction project to succeed. All these are important elements that need a data-driven plan.

A lookahead plan holds a very crucial role in the commercial construction process, from beginning to end. Thus, we will be identifying the main problems that face these schedules and come up with solutions on how to resolve them. 

Below are a few issues that need to be addressed:

Using the Wrong Tools for the Job

The Sacramento ground-up construction industry uses many digital tools that aren’t particularly suited to the industry’s needs. This might lead to frustration and mistakes that may have been avoided easily if a digital solution was tailored to fit the construction industry.

With everyone working in silos, data may sometimes not reach the intended parties, which affects your lookahead schedule and adds confusion to the building process due to the delays experienced. 

However, by enabling project teams to gather and store information in a centralized hub, you make sure that every individual can locate and access the current updated information whenever they need it. 

This will help Sacramento construction project managers plan ahead and make any adjustments in case of any changes.

Lack of Communication

Working individually on a project is quite dangerous. As different teams use their own tools to gather data and report progress, it becomes impossible to make short-term plans.

Having a centralized hub allows the submission of the latest updates from the field and easy access to all project data. Thus, this ensures that the smooth flow of communication is maintained. Our neighbors over at Gilmore Heating, Air, and Plumbing say it best: communication is key in any project type. Their Sacramento HVAC company uses communication at every job site. This offers task managers the ability to plan for the short-term, using updated site information while allowing them leeway to incorporate any last-minute additions or changes made.

A Strong Culture of Blame

Pointing fingers is a common situation in some commercial construction companies’ projects. Mistakes that occur may have teams trying to avoid responsibility. This can interfere with the short-term plans in the lookahead schedule. Unfortunately, if they are not resolved in time, they may also affect the masterplan too. So, a digital platform will again be helpful here by determining the cause of the mistake and the party responsible. 

How to Deliver Your Lookahead Schedule Faster

  • Automate Your Compliance Process

By activating automated task-based follow-ups, you ensure that the site inspector is automatically notified once a target is reached. They will then come and perform a follow-up check at the Sacramento commercial renovation site. With the information updated, you can identify problems that come up, the status, and the party responsible.

  • Resource and Material Management Built-In

Building materials are frequently delivered at the wrong place and the wrong time. Using a digital platform to schedule material deliveries to sync with your work schedule is the answer. This allows you a clear view of what is required on-site while ensuring that no materials get lost.

  • A Centralized Hub for Task-based Communication

In a construction project, all the communication should revolve around the task at hand. Using a centralized communication hub may make it easier for project progress to be updated and documented. Another benefit is that this also follows the main plan. This eliminates wastage of time on email threads, time-consuming phone calls, and more.

  • Link your Master Plan to Lean Planning

Linking your master plan to your planning can be useful to achieve success in a ground-up construction project. Additionally, choosing a commercial construction-specific digital platform that allows you to develop a 3 to 6-week sub-plan of the main plan can help you improve your master plan. Thus, the details required to manage the day to day activities on site efficiently will be provided. Tasks that have been changed or completed should be added to the main project plan. As follows, this will assist in smarter decision making. 

Many strip mall construction projects involve at least 80% of the same processes across the board. Thus, this offers a great opportunity for task managers. This allows them to keep construction site activities under control through past projects’ best practices to their current work.

Contact Headwaters Construction Inc.

Contact Headwaters Construction Inc. today for your commercial construction needs. We would love to assist you with your construction projects.