Quality control is only a part of a larger system of ensuring product or service quality—the quality management system. In Australian construction, especially for government-owned projects, stringent quality management standards and measures are required. Quality management guidelines in Australia adhere to AS/NZS ISO 9001 Quality management systems –Requirements.
Project administration refers to the implementation of administration and business processes for the works involved in a construction project. An effective project administration system is in place when deadlines and compliance requirements are met.
The success of a construction project is heavily dependent on the combined effort of different people and different teams that work together. As such, everyone must be able to serve their function as members of the team and must be able to work and communicate well with each other.
Instructions must be delivered smoothly from one person to another so that procedures may be carried out properly. Open communication between all stakeholders and among all team members must also be established to avoid misunderstandings that may affect the project negatively.
Builders are required to carry out work health and safety procedures to protect the welfare of all their workers and site visitors. In general, builders will have a specific team take on the duty to manage work health and safety. However, the duty to take reasonable care for their own health and safety and that of others who may be affected by their actions or omissions applies to everyone in the workplace. Every person in the construction site must be responsible in ensuring workplace safety.
External party assessment of the construction project is necessary to verify that the work done meets the industry regulatory framework, jurisdictional requirements, and quality control standards. Essentially, external certifiers are engaged in construction projects to provide an unbiased evaluation and verify that the work has been completed satisfactorily through documentary evidence, such as reports and certificates.
These certification and inspection activities must be accomplished before a project can be considered complete. Therefore, all inspection and certification activities conducted by external parties must be sufficiently recorded and acted upon in accordance with the contract agreements.
As a supervisor, you will have to oversee inspections done on site by these external parties. You must be familiar with who these external parties are and the extent of activities they are allowed to do. You will also have to maintain constant and effective communication with these external parties to ensure that everything goes smoothly. Moreover, you also must administer the rectification work required based on the result of these external party inspections.
- QBCC Security of Payment Roadshow
- Overview of the Construction Contracts Act
- Introduction to the Security of Payment Act
- Making a payment claim
- Applying for adjudication
- How to claim a variation under a construction contract
- Back to basics: Extensions of time under construction contracts
- 5 Tips for Effective Construction Communication
- The role of effective communication in the construction Industry: a guide for education and health clients
- Records management practices in construction industries: Australian perspectives
- You can find a list of high-risk construction from Safe Work Australia’s website on Construction. High Risk Construction Work – Construction | Safe Work Australia
- It’s the simple things that matter
- The right start: building safe work for young workers
- Look at the series of presentations by the Portland Cement Association, entitled What to Expect When You’re Inspecting, through the links for additional insight on inspecting concrete work:
- To learn more about building certifiers and approvals, click on the links below: