Construction management

Any concerns pertaining to environmental or public health and safety should be accounted for within the construction method statement. It should be used as an opportunity to review all of the inherent risks of construction ahead of time, and to create solutions and strategies before they become pressing issues. These factors include:

• Waste Management
  Devising a site waste management plan, while not a legal requirement, comprises an important part of your planning process. Minimising the waste produced on site helps you to limit your environmental impact.
• Hours of Work
  The hours in which work takes place have a significant impact on those living in the surrounding area, and may be controlled under the codes of practice set by the local council. Failing to adhere to reasonable hours for work could lead to complaints and penalties, which is why providing confirmation that your on-site team will only be working within reasonable hours is so important.
• Traffic Management
  Failing to put sufficient plans in place in order to alleviate the sheer volume of traffic entering and exiting your site at any given time will, in all likelihood, lead to major issues with congestion – and increase your vulnerability to accidents occurring. You should lay out a clear strategy for ensuring the safety of pedestrians and drivers, and making certain that there is ample space for the traffic toing and froing (and for vehicles turning and offloading) throughout the day.
• Noise Monitoring
  Noise can have a profound impact on public health and wellbeing, both in terms of their health and mental distress. Prior to the commencement of work, a noise survey should be undertaken as part of your environmental management plan; this will provide you with a comprehensive framework for alleviating noise pollution, and preventing complaints from being registered with the local council. Following this, proper steps for noise monitoring should be taken throughout the project in order to prevent your workers from exceeding the conditions of your planning permission.
• Dust Monitoring
  Demolition, offloading deliveries, traffic and waste removal all generate a certain level of dust, and this level must be monitored in order to protect the health and safety of those working on site, and the general public. The local council will stipulate a limit for dust levels, and proper practices must be implemented in order to avoid exceeding these restrictions.

Of course, this list is not exhaustive. Plans should be drawn up for storage areas, processes for complaints, lighting, limiting emissions, drainage, site facilities (such as toilets) and offices, as well as plans and drawings for the site itself.

You should aim to complete your plan well before work is due to begin. If it is required by the local council, then it may take some time (in some cases, several months) for them to review and respond to your CMP. Essentially, when it comes to completing your plan, sooner really is better.

These plans should be made for large or small-scale construction sites, and take into account anything which needs to be addressed prior to the commencement of work in order to ensure a safe and efficient working environment for your on-site team.

For starters, your construction method statement should be written with the help of someone who is well-versed in the many requirements.

Here at The Building Compliance Team, we offer a wealth of practical experience in providing Construction Management Plans for our clients, and can remain on hand to offer guidance in all matters pertaining to compliance, planning, and on-site management throughout the course of your project.

If you would like to know more about how The Building Compliance Team can help with the completion of your method statement for building construction doc, then get in touch with us today for a consultation.