NICMAR-Assignment_NCP22_1

8/13/2019 NICMAR-Assignment_NCP22_1

1/10


2/10

NICMAR CODE 2013-14 ASSIGNMENT1 NCP22- Construction Personnel Management

Submitted by: Murali Krishna Naidu, Reg No 213-05-11-11534-2153 Page 2

Resolving site problem and enhancing output of workforce

Name of the Project:

3 k.m. Long Tunnel

1.Introduction:

ABC company bagged a project to construct a tunnel of 3 k.m long in a remote

mountainous place where living or working conditions are very remote from main

residential place, congestive, unworthy and unhygienic. As the nature of work in a

tunnel, the risk of lives is very high from the safty point of view. As the entry of

the tunnel is on a foot of hill, establishment of labour camps, dwellings for the

skilled, unskilled workers is difficult and focricbly, they are to be located in the

nearest town. As the work site is far from residential location, no rest rooms,

workers get frustrated very frequently after working for small hours. The

movement of the workers in the tunnel is restricted and hence, makes the worker

to constraint himself from free movement. People with a habit of smoking will get

annoyed and show their uneasiness on the fellow workers without any reason. For

any small untoward mishap, workers get agitated, yell against the Project Manager

and in the absence of any Personnel Officer and Safty Officer, the things would

become worse. Project Manager being head of the project, involved mainly on the

mobilization of resources and transforming the output into making payment

certificates, will never able to allot time to see the ground conditions.

The non living conditions lead to un healthyness of the workers, seeking

temporary relief through consumption of liquor, indebtedness, prejudice,

jealousness, etc destabilizing the harmony among the people. When such a


3/10



condition prevails, the top level managers, officers being able to afford the price,

will be away from the scene of instability and thus catalyses the total

pandemonium at work site. When workforce is living in such a condition, the result

will be loss of time and quality of work.

2. Problems identified:

Thus we can summarise the site problems into the following categories viz.,

absenteeism due to unhealthy conditions, absenteeism due to consumption of

liquor leading to quarrels & conflicts between work groups, unwanted accidents at

site, technical problems due to lack of timely attendance by supervision staff.

Various reasons could be made attributable for the aforesaid problems and

identify the needs and ways and measures to fulfill them through a thorough

assessment.

3. Needs and fulfillment plan:

a) Lack of Planning of manpower management:

We can say deficit in manpower management if the following norms/feastures are

visible:

No activity based work sharing plan for both skilled and unskilled personnel No responsibility assigned to work force at any stage/level No communication system between different departments in the project No future plan for bridging gaps of deficit manpower at peak work season No recognition of achievements of work force by means of any kind of

gestures by the organization


4/10



To overcome the above mentioned conditions, the following measures are to be

implemented.

A well defined organization structure is made with the followingrequirements of the project

o Scope of project is mainly earthwork based tunneling using heavyboring machinery which involves personnel from the trades of civil

and mechanical engineering. Hence, it requires unskilled workers also

to support the technical managers as wells as supporting

superviors/foremen

o The work is to be carried out in a season otherthan monsoon seasonto control seepage of water. Normally, in the non monsoon season,

the availability of unskilled workers is abundant. To supervise the

unskilled workers, at every stage, a responsible foremen/work

supervisor is planned so that they will not be made into non

performing work groups

o The activities are scheduled and assigned with defined duration ofeach task. Unless there is a mechanical failure or breakdowns, the

stipulated activities could be performed within time. As the work

schedules are made tight, the workers will be offered to work in

shifts to gain working time in a day.

o In addition to the normal personnel department who takes care aboutwelfare of the workers, an experienced Occupational Safty and

Health Officer also needed in the project team.


5/10



With the above requirements, the following organizational structure is

made to achieve more task oriented project team.

ORGANISATION STRUCTURE

b) Improving Working conditions at site:

Work site shelters for different levels of organistion structure would beconstructed to give relief for the workers after attending work

The shelters will be provided with good ventilation and illuminationconditions.

Drinking Water will be provided at all important work places

Project

Manager

Manager

Admn&

Finance

Manager

Accounts

Manager

Constructio

n (Civil)

Manager

Constructio

n

Manager

Constructio

n (Electrical)

Site

Engineers

Foremen /

Supervisor/

Surveyors

Unskilled

Workers

Safty

Officer

Personnel

Officer

Personnel

Executive

Mechanic

al

Worksho

Site

Engineers

Foremen/Te

chnician/

Mechanic

Operators

/ Drivers

Site

Engineers

Foremen /

Mechaincs /

Technicians

Unskilled

workers

Unskilled

workers

Accounta

nts

Quality

Control

Lab

Lab

Assistant

Field

Assistants


6/10



Communication facility shall be provided for the workers to contact theirfamilies from the residing place so that they will feel a sense of security.

If possible, commutation of workers from the residential location to workspots shall be arranged along with the technical personnel to build team

spirit among the members of the teams.

C) Welfare of workers:

Common entertainment halls to view television or movies so that theworkers will be occupied at all awakening times

Food plaza to provide breakfast, lunch and dinner to the workers atsubsidised price would be provided. If possible, they may be provided at

free of cost as workers time and health is very important at the location.

This may not be costlier than the value of time during breakdown of

activities and amount of liquidated damages imposed by the client at later

stages when the project is behind the intended completion date.

For all workers in shifts at work locations would be provided with on sitelunch/dinner packets to save commutation between site and dining halls.

This could be achieved with the available resource persons and machinery.

Routine and periodical health check up system is planned with the help oflocal consulting doctors in most common sicknesses.

A dedicated and qualified Health Worker would be engaged to attend roundthe clock supervision of all health requirements, escorting the workers to

hospitals or dispensaries in near town.


7/10



Comprehenssive All Risk Worker Insurance Policy will be taken from reputedinsurance company to cover any fatalities in the work site.

d) Avoiding Liquor availability at site:

Consultation would be made with the local government authorities tocontrol illegal and illicit alcohol trafficking in the area.

Employees and workers will be informed that any unauthorized consumptionof liquor would be penalized and suitable disciplinary action would be

initiated.

Consumption of alcohol by unskilled workers will be controlled by enforcingsuitable arrangements for breathing test at work gates before the enter the

work sites.

To avoid consumption, the identified worker groups will be engaged withsocial activities like gardening, cleaning for which they will be given

incentives.

Regular de-addition camps would be planned to motivate the workers toadopt good health practices

e) Storage of materials:

As the nature of work involves with tunneling in hard rock, necessity of blasting

using explosives would be there and thereby, handling, processing, operating the

blasting activities involves high risk of life of workers. The following actions are

planned to minimize the risks and mishaps.


8/10



All blasting operations would be carried out by a licensed explosivespecialist under the direct supervision of the safety officer.

All work locations would be displayed with caution boards and sign boardsinforming the workers about the intended blasting operations.

All explosive materials would be stored as per BSI standards and regularmaterial account check will be conducted to control any mis utilization.

Quality materials like explosives, conductors will be procured to achieve100% blasting avoiding accidents due to delay blasts leading to fatality.

f) Seepage of water:

Seepage of water is a main concern in the construction of tunnels. This

phenomenon will delay the process of making punctures in the horizontal rock

strata and may cause loss to the company if mechanical boring equipment is used

completely for the excavation of rock. Water flow in the cleavage lines of the

stratifications and unless controlled, the moisture may sometimes loosen the roof

of the tunnel to make the portion of earth to slip and close the tunnel. The

following actions are proposed to control the damages:

The topography of the area under which the tunnel is planned is analysedand proposed with suitable drainage system to let out any surface flows

immediately away from the work zones

Work methodology programs will be prepared and submitted to the clientfor approval to avoid any damage in claim at later stage


9/10



Lean and dry working season will be planned to take up high risk zones toavoid any smallest seepages.

If possible cement gunniting will be done at suitable locations to avoildseepage through stratifications.

g) Roof spalling:

Roof spalling or collapsing of top of tunnel portion is a commonly expected

outcomes at any stage of work till the tunnel surfaces are tied with proper

cementing materials.

The parameters for spalling such as type of formation of rock, foliations inthe rock, homogeneity of rock formation etc would be thoroughly examined

Loose materials would be removed at the time of boring/excavations Cement/Concrete gunniting will be applied to the tunnel top surfaces

wherever loose pockets are attended

Appropriate supporting ribs with steel or good timber props will be done atregular intervals to arrest any future spalling

Advance procurement of all support materials will be planned and kept atsite to meet the demand at any hour of time

h) Conclusion:

The management is requested to make a disaster management team headed

by a responsible person at Director level to take any direct decisions at crucial

hours of occurance of any mishap to gain the confidence of fellow workers.


10/10



All the management levels in the organization structure will be given with

suitable roles and responsibility charts to act in time and achieve a well defined

work output.

A weekly work review meeting will be organized and work out put will be

quantified to get verified by the head of the projects to mitigate any lapses or

gaps in the progress. After consulting with construction managers, suitable

corrective measures will be proposed to the Directors for bridging the gaps and

take their permission to implement in the forthcoming weeks such that the project

would be completed in time and with good quality.

Frequent visits by the Directors will enhance the feelings of togetherness

among the workers and there by every work groups will be alerted to complete

their assigned roles or tasks.

Interactions with family members of workers on a most celebrated day like

formation date of company, would give security feeling among the workers and

their family members.

With the above working and possible measures, the output of the work

groups could be enhanced.

Bibliogrphy & References:

1. NICMAR Session book2. Ogranisational Management by Koontz and Odoneal, McGraw Hill Publishers3. Management in construction industry by Prof KN Vaid NICMAR Publications.

Submitted by :

Murali Krishna Naidu,SODE Reg No. 213-05-11-11534-2153

Documents

NICMAR-Assignment_NCP22_1