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1 Unit 17: Managing building services engineering projects in the work location In this topic guide you will learn about the techniques for planning and programming work activities for building services engineering projects, and the suitable methods and formats for presenting this information. This topic guide will cover: planning the project risk assessments method statements bar or Gantt charts critical path analysis. Plan work activities for building services engineering projects 17 . 2

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Unit 17: Managing building services engineering projects in the work location

In this topic guide you will learn about the techniques for planning and programming work activities for building services engineering projects, and the suitable methods and formats for presenting this information.

This topic guide will cover: • planning the project • risk assessments • method statements • bar or Gantt charts • critical path analysis.

Plan work activities for building services engineering projects17.2

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Unit 17: Managing building services engineering projects in the work location

17.2: Plan work activities for building services engineering projects

1 Planning the projectTo make sure that projects are delivered on time, to cost and to the required quality, they need to be carefully and effectively planned. There are a number of different methods that can be used to achieve an effective project plan – but whatever method is chosen, the resulting planning documentation must be easily understood by all who are involved. Project planning must also take into account contingencies and actions that should be carried out when things do not go according to the project plan.

Collecting informationAt the start of a project the client will need to provide the contractor with certain pieces of documentation and other information in order to allow the project to be planned effectively. This allows the contractor to spot potential problems at an early stage and find ways around them.

Site conditions

The client will need to provide details of the site layout and ground conditions as well as characteristics of the surrounding area. The site layout will significantly impact the planning requirements relating to the delivery and storage of materials, plant and equipment over the course of the project.

Drawings and specifications

Provided by the architect or design team, these provide information about when and where sections of the project will be constructed.

Overarching programmes and plans

If you are working specifically on building services systems within a larger build you will need to consult the main plans for the project. These may specify a window in which you must complete your work.

Contract requirements

These are likely to include a final end date, but may also include other stipulations that must be considered at the planning stages.

Management instructions

Management instructions may refer to directives that you have to follow in any job, such as how to deal with waste, or there may be specific directives for that job.

Statutory requirements

All construction and engineering projects must adhere to certain statutory regulations. These include health and safety regulations, buildings approval and planning permissions.

Resourcing

Resourcing refers to both the availability of labour and the availability of materials and equipment. Resourcing must be considered at the planning stages of the project to ensure that contract requirements can be met.

LinkHNC in Building Services Engineering: Unit 57 Project management for building services engineering, learning outcomes 1 and 5, assessment criteria 1.2, 5.1 and 5.2.

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Unit 17: Managing building services engineering projects in the work location

17.2: Plan work activities for building services engineering projects

2 Risk assessmentsA risk assessment is a careful look at aspects of work that could cause harm to yourself or others. It is a process that should help you to decide whether you have taken sufficient precautions to prevent accidents and incidents occurring, or if you could do more to prevent harm. The main aim of a risk assessment is to make sure that no one gets hurt or becomes ill.

An employer must decide whether a hazard is significant and whether satisfactory precautions have been taken in order to minimise any potential risks. An employer is legally bound to assess the risks in the workplace – and where there are five or more employees, a risk assessment must be written down.

Where CDM coordinators have been appointed, part of their service should be to support the management arrangements for the project – including management of health and safety systems on site. Risk assessments are a key element in ensuring site safety and provide clear evidence to clients and the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) of how safety requirements are met during the undertaking of site activities.

Generic principles of risk assessmentThe HSE provides guidance on carrying out risk assessments and sets out the five-step process shown in Figure 17.2.1.

Step 1: Identify the hazards.

Step 2: Decide who might be harmed and how.

Step 3: Evaluate the risks and decide on precaution.

Step 4: Record your findings and implement them.

Step 5: Review your assessment and update if necessary.

There are a lot of different risk assessment forms available as templates – there is no one particular type of form that you must use.

Figure 17.2.1: HSE guidance for risk assessment. Contains public sector

information published by the Health and Safety Executive and licensed under the

Open Government Licence v1.0.

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Unit 17: Managing building services engineering projects in the work location

17.2: Plan work activities for building services engineering projects

Here are some explanations of the key words used on typical risk assessment forms. • Hazard – anything with the potential to cause harm (e.g. an item, a substance,

a piece of equipment, the environment, etc.). • Person(s) at risk – the individual or groups of people that may be affected by

the hazard. • Control measures – measures to eliminate or reduce the hazards and/or to

reduce the risk to the lowest that is ‘reasonably practicable’. For example, it is reasonably practicable to use lead-free solder and to use alternatives to lead pipe. On the other hand, it may not be reasonably practicable to replace all lead water pipes in the country.

• Risk rating – a numerical rating that helps you to prioritise the actions. The higher the score, the higher the risk. The rating is found by calculating ‘severity x likelihood’. There are different methods for doing this.

The aim of a risk assessment is to reduce the risk rating to as low a figure as is ‘reasonably practicable’ by putting in place precautions. It is usual to stop activities that are rated as ‘high’ until the risk can be reduced.

Figure 17.2.2 shows part of a completed risk assessment. It indicates how a simple risk assessment process can be applied to typical working situations. The work covered involves the maintenance of a block of flats. You can see the full risk assessment at:

www.hse.gov.uk/risk/casestudies/pdf/flats.pdf.

Figure 17.2.2: Part of a sample risk assessment form. Contains public sector information published by the Health and Safety Executive and licensed under the Open Government Licence v1.0.

Key termReasonably practicable – in terms of a risk assessment, doing what is possible to reduce the risk, taking into account the costs, time and effort of doing it.

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Unit 17: Managing building services engineering projects in the work location

17.2: Plan work activities for building services engineering projects

3 Method statementsAs the title suggests, a method statement is a document that explains or makes recommendations about how a work task or activity should be completed. Method statements also include detailed schedules of the resources (i.e. materials, labour and equipment) that are required to perform and complete different activities within a project. Additional information relating to costs and alternative working methods can be included in a method statement and most large companies will have their own templates for producing such documents. As they cover ‘how’ work activities should be completed, method statements also link intrinsically with health and safety requirements and documentation (especially risk assessments and, where applicable, permit to work systems), and environmental/waste disposal requirements.

Method statements form a key part of the overall work programming and scheduling documentation (drawings, specifications, bills of quantities, etc.) and should integrate closely with these documents.

Key factors to consider when creating method statements (and wider programming documents) include:

• what needs to be done • how the work should be done safely • the work sequence that should be followed • how long each operation will take to complete • what labour is required • what materials are required • what plant and equipment is required.

An agreed method statement should be adhered to by all those to whom it relates, and it should not be deviated from without permission and prior agreement.

Method statements should make reference to, and detail, any works that are to be completed by sub-contractors. The sub-contractors will then be required to produce their own method statements for the specific works they have been engaged to complete.

Producing a method statementThe basic procedure for developing a method statement is shown in Figure 17.2.3.

Study design drawings and specifications to determine what work tasks need to be done.

Break each overarching worktask down into itsindividual components

Assess how eachoperation shouldbe completed.

Identify if any specialrequirements apply(e.g. is a Hot Workpermit systemrequired?)

Determine whatoperatives are required to completethe work – includingplant operators.

Determine whatplant, equipmentand materials arerequired to complete the work.

Select the most appropriatemethod to complete theoperations (or producemethod statements foreach alternative method).

List the actions in themethod in the order in which they should becompleted.

Figure 17.2.3: How to produce a method statement.

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Unit 17: Managing building services engineering projects in the work location

17.2: Plan work activities for building services engineering projects

Once the information detailed in Figure 17.2.3 has been ascertained, it can be transferred into the method statement documentation. The form shown in Figure 17.2.4 is a very simplified example of a method statement template. As we have already stated, many companies will use their own templates.

Method statement

Contact:

Client:

Sheet No.

Prepared by:

Date:

Operation Method sequence Labour Time RemarksOperationnumber

Plant /equip

Portfolio activity (2.3)Look at the type of method statement that is used by your employer, then try to obtain a method statement from a client or sub-contractor and see how the documents compare. Make some brief notes on your findings.

Once you have done this, choose a building services work operation for a job your company has completed and produce a method statement for the completion of the work (e.g. a method statement for the installation of cable tray at a new warehousing facility).

Programming

Completed method statements are key source documents that are used in the production of work programmes, as they provide details of what the individual tasks are, how long they are likely to take and the order in which they should be completed. Inputting all of this information into an appropriate work programme will help to identify the critical path.

Critical path analysis can be used for resource planning, but are not the most popular method. It will be discussed in more detail on page 9. The next section will explain the more common methods for resource and project planning.

4 Bar or Gantt chartsBar or Gantt charts are the most common ways of showing work programmes. The length of the bar reflects the time that a work task or operation is expected to take. Gantt charts can be created electronically or by hand. If created electronically, the charts can be easily updated by marking actual programme times and completion dates, thereby making it very easy to assess the state of the contract at any one time. This will show whether the programme of work is on schedule.

Figure 17.2.4: A blank method statement template.

Key termCritical path – a sequence of activities showing the minimum amount of time needed to complete a project. If there are delays to any activities on the critical path this will extend the end date of the project.

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Unit 17: Managing building services engineering projects in the work location

17.2: Plan work activities for building services engineering projects

As bar and Gantt charts provide a good visual way of assessing progress that is easy to understand, it is typical for these types of programming documents to be prominently displayed in site offices. Figure 17.2.5 shows an example of a Gantt chart produced using Microsoft® Project.

Preparing the chartFigure 17.2.5 is an example of a chart that was produced electronically but the principles for inputting information and creating the chart are the same as they would be if you were creating a hard-copy chart.

Each row contains details of the different work operations and activities that are to be undertaken in the project. The columns represent a timeline for the project. The planned start and finish of each activity should be plotted along the timeline and connected as a bar. The bar, therefore, represents the duration of the activity. Project software packages such as Microsoft® Project or Oracle® Primavera® enable this to be done electronically.

When a task has been completed electronic resources allow you to change the status to complete, and a line will appear under the Gantt bar. It would be advisable to do something similar to a manual chart to easily see progress.

One of the most important factors when creating charts used for project planning is that they must be able to be easily updated and changed, so that they always provide an accurate representation of how much progress (or otherwise) has been made. This includes the ability to alter the chart as and when various working situations change.

Figure 17.2.5: A typical Gantt chart produced using project planning

software.

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Unit 17: Managing building services engineering projects in the work location

17.2: Plan work activities for building services engineering projects

Gantt charts also allow for two tasks to happen at the same time by showing links to each. Creating these links means it is possible to see which activities must be completed before operators can move on to subsequent activities. Those activities that can be least delayed without affecting the project completion date are said to be on the critical path. A Gantt chart is also useful in assessing the results of any delays that may occur. Resources can be added to each activity to show, for example, the amount of labour required for each one. The resultant chart is called a resource aggregation or resource histogram.

Resource histogramsResource profile histograms are a simple tool that can be used to help maximise efficiency in terms of the use of resources and avoid periods of unproductive time.

It is usual when producing a resource histogram to assume that all the resources are available as and when required to complete the job within the target timescales.

The histogram is produced (usually as either a line or bar chart) to show the requirement for each resource during each time period (see Figure 17.2.6).

Number ofoperatives

Time

8765

432

10 Week 1 Week 2

Joiners

Ground workers/labourers

Week 3

ActivityAlthough the building services engineering sector and wider construction industry normally use the bar or Gantt chart, you may come across other forms of programming such as network analysis, precedence diagrams and line of balance.

Carry out some research into the different programming styles and methods that are available. Make some notes and retain them for future reference.

Figure 17.2.6: A basic histogram for the completion of work to prepare

foundations.

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Unit 17: Managing building services engineering projects in the work location

17.2: Plan work activities for building services engineering projects

5 Critical path analysis Critical path analysis (CPA) or critical path method (CPM) is a technique used for process and resource planning, and it can be used as the basis for the preparation of a schedule. It helps you to plan all the activities that must be completed as part of a project. It is a very important tool for effective project management. It is commonly used for all forms of construction projects. CPA provides many benefits, including the following.

• It provides a visual representation of the project in the form of a flow chart, showing what activities need to be carried out, the sequence of these activities and the timings involved.

• It predicts the time needed to complete the project. • It defines which activities are critical to maintain the schedule and which

are not.

CPA models the activities and events of a project as a network. Activities are depicted as nodes on the network, and events that signify the beginning or ending of activities are depicted as arcs or lines between the nodes.

Figure 17.2.7 shows an example of a CPA network diagram.

10

04

3

10

32

25

8

8

24

6

612

12

A4 days

B2 days

C1 day

D6 days

F2 days

E6 days

G4 days

To plan a project using CPA you will need to:

1 List each activity in the project. It would be useful to list them in a table so that you can add the duration of each activity in an additional column. The activities should be listed in order of when they will take place.

2 Draw the diagram. As seen in Figure 17.2.7, several tasks can take place at the same time. The small, numbered boxes within each node represent the earliest start date and latest finish date of the activities.

3 Identify the critical path. As defined on page 6, the critical path is the minimum amount of time a project will take. In Figure 17.2.7 this is 12 days,

Figure 17.2.7: A CPA network diagram.

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Unit 17: Managing building services engineering projects in the work location

17.2: Plan work activities for building services engineering projects

and the critical path is shown by the red line. The activities that sit on this red line must be completed within the time schedules to avoid the whole project from being delayed. Activities 2 and 4 have a little more flexibility as to when they are started. This is called slack.

4 Update the CPA diagram as necessary. As we know, construction and building services engineering projects often have changes in schedules and the CPA diagram should be updated to reflect this.

ChecklistAt the end of this topic guide you should be familiar with:

planning the project

risk assessments

method statements

bar or Gantt charts

critical path analysis.

Further reading and resourcesCook, B. and Williams, P., Construction Planning, Programming and Control (Third Edition), (Wiley-Blackwell, 2009)

Griffith, A. and Watson, P., Construction Management: Principles and Practice (Palgrave Macmillan, 2003)

AcknowledgementsThe publisher would like to thank the following for their kind permission to reproduce their photographs:

Fotolia.com: endostock (1)

All other images © Pearson Education

We are grateful to the following for permission to reproduce copyright material:

Health and Safety Executive for the figures ‘Five steps to risk assessment’, www.hse.gov.uk/risk/fivesteps.htm, 2011, and ‘Example risk assessment for maintenance of flats’, p.5, www.hse.gov.uk/risk/casestudies/pdf/flats.pdf. © Crown copyright; Microsoft for a screenshot from Project Professional. Microsoft product screenshots reprinted with permission from Microsoft Corporation.

Every effort has been made to trace the copyright holders and we apologise in advance for any unintentional omissions. We would be pleased to insert the appropriate acknowledgement in any subsequent edition of this publication.

Key termSlack – also known as ‘float’, the amount of time that an activity can be delayed without affecting later tasks or the final deadline of the project.