Prior to the commencement of construction works, Contractors are required to prepare Project Quality Management Plan (QMP) detailing the control procedures that is required to demonstrate its ability to consistently provide products and services that meets customer and applicable quality standard requirements.

A Quality management plan (QMP) specifies which procedures and associated resources shall be applied by whom and when to a specific project, product, process or contract.

The Project Quality Management Plan must comply with applicable ISO 9001 standards and contract specifications for the project.

Larger Organizations my run several projects at the time and have a complex organisation structure to support and administer the construction projects. These organisations would also need a Quality Management System (QMS) manual describing the way the business is managed in regards to quality management and ensure procedures are in place to warrant the quality standards of product or services delivered across the organization.

Thus in the construction industry the Quality Management System documentation required comprises of:

•  A Quality Management System manual to direct and control the organization with regards to quality management; and
•  Project Quality Management Plan to direct and control the project in regards to quality management.

A Quality Management System manual would clearly:

•  Address all elements required by the ISO 9001 Quality management system standards;
•  Describe the organisation’s structure and outline the business purpose
•  Define the management responsibilities, company policies and objectives
•  Describe procedures to deal with document control. The key elements of document control are approval, distribution and control of superseded documents. In addition there must be evidence of control in the form of records.
•  Describe procedures to purchase products and services required to deliver your project; this includes procedures to select and engage subcontractors and procedures to manage subcontractor’s works on site.
•  Describe procedures to deal with non conforming products, noncompliance to documented procedures and actions required to eliminate the causes of nonconformities in order to prevent recurrence.
•  Describe procedures for inspection and tests required on incoming goods, in-process and final inspections required to ensure that the quality of the product delivered is as per contract requirements.
•  Describe the technical procedures (TP) for each construction activity; the TPs would include inspection and test plans (ITPs) with checklist to record inspection and test results; this is the most important element of quality management.
•  Describe procedures to deal with training requirements for staff involved with the project.
•  Describe procedures to deal with records creation, storage and disposal according to specified requirements.
•  Describe the standard forms required to record day to day activities.
•  Detail the resources to be used, including management structure/personnel and their training for the work;
•  Describe personnel responsibilities and authorities;
•  Describe process controls to be used to deal with the work and risks involved, including quality procedures, and ITPs and associated checklists, with methods for measurement/analysis;
•  Describe methods to be used to monitor and audit implementation;
•  Describe methods to be used to identify nonconformities, and implement corrective and preventive actions; and
•  Describe methods to be used for document control and records management, including maintaining,
•  Describe methods to be used for securing/protecting/storing, identifying, retrieving and otherwise controlling records for the periods required and then their disposal

A typical Quality Management Plan would include:

•  A brief description of the scope of works associated with the contract should be documented. The description should be sufficiently detailed to provide persons unfamiliar with the contract an overview of the type of work being carried out and under what environment conditions.
•  A brief description of the works program; this may be in a form of a bar chart, Gantt chart or any other form of documenting works program.
•  The QMP should outline the project management structure; responsibilities, standards and control systems applicable to the contract to ensure quality requirements are adequately addressed.
•  Refer to all standard operating procedures described in the quality management system manual
•  Describe in detail the applicable technical procedures and inspection and test plans applicable to the products and services required by the contract.

Options to develop quality management systems

You have few options available to get your Construction Quality Management System they are:

•  You prepare your own system with the expertise and resources available in your organisation (preferred option), following this guidelines and the ISO 9001 quality management system standards
•  You hire a consultant to draft for you (least preferred option),
•  You get a template from providers on the internet and you tailored to specifics of your organisation and project (economical and best option). Tailoring the template by YOU and YOUR team gives you ownership and understanding of the plan and confidence to implement it.

The choice is yours, the bottom line is to have a system that is:

•  easy to understand and implement,
•  written in plain English so everyone understands it, and
•  compliant to ISO 9001:2008 Quality Management Systems standards

If you don’t have the expertise or resources to write a plan from scratch, you can get a Project Quality Management Plan (QMP) with all those attributes on the internet at www.complianceleader.com

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A lot of research has been done on corporate quality management systems over the past 25 years. As such, many quality systems have emerged, captured and then faded away, leaving behind many disconnected quality programs. For example, the Total Quality Management (TQM), Just in Time (JIT) and many more have been tried out. The final result was poor Return on Investment (ROI) for each dollar invested in quality.

The above phenomenon was due to different improvement methods and jargons, little interaction, lack of coordination, or optimization on the part of organization as a whole.  In essence, the organization culture of quality was not present in most of the initial quality management systems. This implies that everyone in the organization recognizes the importance and significance of quality in their product and services.

In light of above, ISO 9001 Quality Management System (QMS) was developed based on the experienced gained through partially successful quality systems tried out before. The ISO9001 and ISO9004 Quality Standards were formulated based on eight (8) quality management principles. These 8 quality management principles were chosen with the intention of improving organizational performance leading to organizational success. The eight QMS principles are:

• Focus on your customers- Organization should understand customer needs and should certainly meet customer requirements while exceeding customer expectations
• Provide Leadership- Management should establish a unity of purpose and set the direction which the organization should go while creating an organization environment fostering its employees to achieve organizational objectives.
• Involve People- Should encourage the participation of employees at all levels of the organization and help them to develop their skills and competencies.
• Use Process Approach- Organizations should employ integrated (or holistic or systems) approach to identify interrelated processes and manage them effectively.
• Encourage Continual Improvement- Organizations should be consistently committed towards continuous improvement of their overall performance
• Get the Facts before You Decide- Organizations should base their decisions based on analysis of factual information and data.
• Work Harmoniously with Your Suppliers- Organizations should maintain a mutually beneficial relationship with their suppliers.

The above 8-QMS principles will obviously benefit any organization from establishing effective ISO9001 QMS. Essentially, an effective or well managed ISO9001 quality system not only helps the organization to look at its processes internally as well as externally but also foster integrated approach to quality leading to higher Return on Investment (ROI).

An effective ISO9001 QMS will essentially ensure two important organizational requirements:

1. The Customers’ requirements or perspective-: confidence and ability of the organization to deliver the desired products and services consistently while meeting the customers’ needs and expectations.
2. The Organization’s requirements: efficient use of available resources such as materials, human, technology and information, both internally and externally and at the optimum costs.

The above requirements can only be realized if the organization possesses objective evidence in the form of accurate information and recorded data supporting all quality system activities from the key supplier to the ultimate customer.

Additionally, a good ISO9001 QMS will truly benefit the organizations such as:

1. Set direction and meet customer expectations
2. Improve process control
3. Reduce Wastage
4. Lower costs
5. Increase Market Share
6. Facilitate Training
7. Involve employees and encourage commitment and motivation through (quality Circles)
8. Raise Moral of employees and employee satisfaction
9. Reduce rework and frustration
10. Improve customer satisfaction
11. Better overall management control
12. Reduce maintenance costs
13. Enhance organization’s Image
14. Integrating other important standards such as Environmental and Health & Safety Standards.

In summing up, implementing a good QMS such as ISO9001 is vital for any organization to survive not only during current global economic down turn but also in a knowledge economy where customers insist more for less money. In essence, it encourages the organization to “do it right at the first time’.

If you’ve got questions about anything in this article or anything related to Compliance Leader or the construction industry, you can contact us via email or leave your question in the comments below.

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From an OH&S perspective the construction industry is a high risk activity industry; it is a unique industry managed on a project basis where each project is unique in location and scope.

Consequently OH&S management system for the construction must be well structured and documented to ensure that personnel working on constantly changing work environment are adequately protected from risk of injury or illness.

In accordance with the OHSAS 18001 & OHSAS 18002, the Occupational health and safety (OH&S) management system looks at the conditions and circumstances that could affect the health and safety of employees or other stakeholders such as contractor personnel, temporary workers and visitors in the workplace or at the construction site.

What Is An Effective OHS Management System?

An effective OH&S Management System not only blends best practices with other organizational management systems (QMS, EMS & strategic planning) but also enables any organization to have a fully statutory compliant, well managed safety management system. Similarly, OH&S management systems can easily increase productivity, reduce risks (or accidents) and improve workplace environment while enhancing the worker morale.

It is also important to note that the management of OH&S risks is a mandatory requirement in any construction site or workplace. According to OHSAS 18002:2008, any effective OH&S management system essentially determines the agenda of compliance with two important elements stipulated in the OH&S regulation:

• Any employer shall provide and maintain a safe working environment without health and occupational risks;
• Employees shall take reasonable care for their health and safety including others.

Besides the above, OH&S management systems provide built in procedures for compliance with stringent industry regulations. So, it is a vital operational function for any construction business. Similarly, OH&S management system envisions strategic planning and structured review of all organization practices for enhanced performance. The key processes of a comprehensive OH&S system are:

• Assessment of scope and range of operations of a construction organization
• Examining the applicable statutory and regulatory requirements pertaining to construction business and site specific
• Identifying all risks pertaining business or occupational functions and operations
• Evaluation of sickness and accidents in the construction workplace
• Ensure appropriate compliance with the regulatory requirements relating to OH&S and risk management obligations.
• Prudent use of resources

When considering the above, OH&S management can be considered as formal business planning which has a direct relationship to all areas of business or workplace operation of a construction organization.

What Should It Encompass?

Due to the diverse and changing nature of the construction industry, the OH&S concerns are multifaceted. Hence, controlling risks may involve substantial amounts of capital and concerted effort. This implies that OH&S management systems applicable to such complex construction business environments require high level of control from the policy stage to implementation. In essence, a very effective OH&S management system should encompass the following:

• OH&S Policies
• Best and appropriate OH&S operational procedures and practices
• Documentation control of OHS procedures.
• Site specific OH&S measures.
• Reporting arrangements ensuring quality, reliable and verifiable information at all stages of OH&S procedures
• Maintenance of records and a database pertaining to OH&S activities.

The other integral part of OH&S management system is implementation of OH&S management system on a priority basis without confining it into a document. Essentially, all OH&S activities should be properly planned and noted in advance in discussion with the corporate management and employees.

What Are The Benefits?

Hence, smooth implementation of an OH&S system in a construction business, all employees from top to grass-root level should be aware of OH&S procedures, regulatory requirements and safety systems. Therefore, training and awareness of the OH&S procedures and safety system requirements are vital for successful implementation of OH&S management system in a construction organization.
Summing up, OH&S management system is an essential management tool for construction business. It not only encourages good work practices and safe (or accident free) work environment but continually increase productivity through enhanced worker moral.
More specifically, an effective OH&S management system will certainly establish a safe and well managed construction work place by:

• Anticipating and eliminating hazards related to any construction
• Appreciably reduce fatal incidents or accidents and injuries in the construction workplace
• Avoiding prosecutions from OHS regulators
• Minimise litigation pertaining to worker’s compensation and liability claims
• Ensure sound judgement and record evidence in case of an incident or accident takes place

An effective OHS system can heighten staff morale; allow staff to focus on primary business activities, leading to improved performance and productivity.

If you’ve got questions about anything in this article or anything related to Compliance Leader or the construction industry, you can contact us via email or leave your question in the comments below.

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The type of Quality Control Inspection and Testing Plan (QCITP) adopted will depend on the complexity of a construction project, the type of ownership of the project and the nature of the contract. According to ISO 9001:2000, it is mandatory to implement an appropriate QCTIP to ensure quality. The primary goal of a QCITP is quality and safety and not looking ways to reduce costs. It is essential to note that although cost is important, quality cannot be compromised for cost. Therefore, the QCITP should ensure that the construction work is carried out in accordance with the approved plans, specifications and standards.

In the case of large and complex construction projects such as dams or highway construction, detailed inspection and testing plans will be adopted. In less complex projects, field inspection guidelines are generally proposed for QCITP personnel. The intention of such plans or the guidelines is to offer direction for the QCITP personnel. In essence, these will help them carry out proper inspection, reporting and documentation.

The key elements of a QCITP or field inspection guidelines are: inspection criteria, contractor operations, QCITP operations, and documentation. Also, a construction inspection check list appropriate to the type of construction may also be included with the plan. In some cases a detailed training program for field staff may also be incorporated.

Besides the above, all parties responsible for inspection and testing should be clearly stated in the QCTIP. Such responsibilities may be with the licensee (or authorized person), design engineer, contractor and the testing laboratory or an independent consultant. Hence, goals and objectives of such inspection and testing plans should be discussed among key people responsible for QCTIP.

It is essential to note that the criteria for the QCITP are based on the construction contract between the client and the contractor. Therefore, contract information on drawings, specifications, codes, standards and laws should be provided to the QCITP personnel. The construction contract has to be examined regularly to check whether the most recent documents are being used. More importantly, the inspection and testing staff should be up-to-date with the contract document.

The QCTIP personnel should check whether all construction work carried out in accordance with the contract document. Accordingly, the contractor has to be informed in writing (in terms of contract), upon finding any non-conforming work so that contractor can take appropriate corrective actions. Hence, proper procedure has to be in place for communication between inspection and testing personnel and the key project staff.

Reporting and documentation is essential in the QCITP. Proper documentation of the observation, investigation and review of inspection is mandatory in any quality management system. Similarly, there are numerous types of reports generated through inspection and testing. For example, daily inspection reports, non-conformance reports, material testing reports, environmental compliance reports and many more. Hence, depending on the complexity of the project, the QCITP should have the most appropriate reporting and documentation, so that any confusion or ambiguity can be minimized.

Furthermore, in order to track corrective actions on non-conforming work, a reliable and effective tracking system should be in place in the QCITP.

If you’ve got questions about anything in this article or anything related to Compliance Leader or the construction industry, you can contact us via email or leave your question in the comments below.

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