Over the last few weeks I have been part of the site management team on the construction of a large (when I say large, multiply that by 12 and then add a few more numbers to it and you will have an idea of what large looks like) distribution centre.
Now, anyone who knows me, knows that I love being on the ropes and being involved in the hands-on aspect of a job, however, this job has found me wearing slightly different shoes (still composite/ steel toes – we are on a building site after all) which has been really interesting for me. In my capacity as site manager for the working at height team, I have been managing a team of climbers and labourers on an ever moving site, keeping a track of work complete and work to be completed, problem solving and liaising with the main contractors to ensure that a) the client is happy b) that we are able to extend the services we offer to meet the growing needs of the client c) we are available on site to offer solutions to any unforeseen problems that conventional access methods are unable to meet.
The thing that has been particularly interesting is the number of moving parts (companies and contractors) there are on a project this big, and how important it is to have a view of the bigger picture rather than the small sliver of things that we may be involved in. This is because the action of one contractor or company can have an impact on the actions and operations of another. It is clear that communication and transparency is key.
As someone who has worked for a number of companies over the years, in a number of industries, communication is the golden thread that has been present in everything that I have done – whether it has been oil & gas, construction, glazing, rigging, etc. There does come a time, when you have worked on a job with someone long enough or have worked with someone enough over the years that the communication becomes implicit over explicit, but it is still there.
I am really interested to see how this project pans out over the coming weeks, and I look forward to seeing it completed.
AM Rope Access and Training 