The Right Way To Introduce New Workers to your Construction Project

"It is critical that workers on a construction project understand the rules and know what is expected from them. As important is that they feel part of the team."

I’m sure we’ve all attended many construction project kickoff meetings. Mostly these were boring, generic and we’ve barely taken any notice of what was been said. Somewhat like listening to the safety briefing on an aeroplane, just before take-off – you’ve heard it all before. But just as listening to the safety briefing on the aeroplane could be the difference between you surviving an air crash or not, so to could that project safety meeting be the difference between life and death.

Some aircrews try and spice up the safety briefing by adding a few quirks and jokes. But even these can become boring for regular flyers.

Most construction projects delegate the safety advisor to present the project induction. Often these are done as a ‘tick and flick’ exercise, which consists of reading a list of ‘do’s and don’ts’ and signing the bottom of the piece of paper.
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Construction site kickoff meetings should be more than only focussing on generic safety issues. They are an opportunity to welcome new workers, explain what they’ll be doing on the project, and give them an understanding of where they’ll be working and how they’ll fit into the contractor’s organisational structure. It’s an opportunity to discuss project rules, ensure new workers understand the quality requirements and know what’s expected of them, and of course, it’s vital to highlight specific safety issues that will be encountered on the construction project.

"Does your team know what is expected from them?"

What to include in construction project kick-off meetings or inductions

I generally include the following in construction project inductions:

1. a welcome from the project manager
2. a brief overview of the project, which could include who the client is, a description of the overall project, the specific structures being constructed and the overall project duration
3. the current status of the project, the milestones already achieved and milestones due in the near future
4. specific problems encountered on the works, or that may be encountered
5. if there are new employees, then a brief overview of the company
6. the company values
7. a section focussed on the workers themselves, which covers:
   1. work hours
   2. accommodation
   3. daily transport
   4. location of toilets, offices, stores and lunch room facilities
   5. project rest days (personnel are often focussed on their personal problems and questions, so once these are addressed they will be more focussed on the content of the rest of the induction)
8. the overall project management structure, mentioning people by name and their individual responsibilities
9. project specific rules such as:
   1. areas that personnel must not enter
   2. site access routes
10. company disciplinary and grievance procedures, including which offences will result in workers being removed from the project or dismissed. The use of drugs and excessive consumption of alcohol - how does it affect your construction project?
11. safety (this shouldn’t just be a discussion on general safety topics but should focus on the actual project specific safety rules and hazards) How poor safety costs your construction company money
12. The location of emergency equipment and emergency evacuation routes and muster stations
13. environmental issues which should include:
    1. site boundaries
    2. environmentally sensitive areas
    3. local fauna and flora that may be encountered
    4. procedures should local fauna be encountered
    5. disposing and segregating of waste
    6. actions in the event of an accidental spill of liquids that could cause pollution
14. procedures to follow if a worker becomes ill or injured, either during work hours or after work
15. ​emergency contact details (a useful practice is for employees to be given a small laminated card listing emergency contact details, which can fit into a pocket to be carried with them at all times)
16. the quality expectations for the project. Who is responsible for quality on your construction project?

At all stages of the induction employees should be encouraged to ask questions.

Lastly, if possible, new employees should be introduced to the person they’ll be reporting to.

Everyone who attends the induction must sign an attendance sheet which must be kept with the safety records. I would also consider setting a brief questionnaire for the participants to confirm they have heard and understood the induction.

Don’t forget to ensure that the induction is updated regularly because progress and rules change as the project progresses, as may staff. Successful construction demands good communication

"The information in this article comes from these construction management books written by Paul Netscher."

Avoid many problems on your construction project with a good introduction

Construction project inductions shouldn’t take more than 30 to 45 minutes. What I have outlined above may seem a lot to cover, but, if the presentation is well prepared and coordinated it can easily be covered quickly. A short questionnaire and time for questions may extend the induction to 1 hour.

Too often we expect our workers to know what’s expected of them. They arrive on the construction site and are expected to know the rules, the work times, acceptable behaviours and who to raise queries with. Sometimes workers are treated like sheep, herded from one project to the next with no inkling of what they are building or how long they’ll be there. Then when things go wrong management blames the employee who possibly didn’t know better.

Use inductions to welcome workers to the construction project, making them feel part of it. Importantly, ensure that everyone understands the project rules and is aware of the project risks. A proper construction project induction will help avoid problems later. 
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​This article was first published on the ClockShark website. 
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