Like any other major project, establishing a construction site requires a strategy. You need a well-functioning construction site before you can lay the foundation of your new development, and that construction site starts with a plan. Once you have the necessary permits and approvals for your site, a construction site establishment plan is the next step.
In Australia, the construction industry generates hundreds of billions of dollars and employs more than a million people. Construction businesses carry out many projects both large and small: commercial and residential developments, building engineering services, and heavy and civil engineering projects ranging from roads to highways to tunnels to sewers to bridges to dams. Yet there’s more that goes on behind the scenes of a construction site than the public sees and certainly more that goes into the planning of one.
What is needed in a site establishment plan? A lot, from traffic management to environmental impact to the practicalities of first aid, bathrooms and access points. A construction site management plan needs to balance the needs of your business with industry standards and local regulations.
A professional construction planner can make the process easier for you. Find the key to a pain-free construction site management plan with SSTC and a helping hand with the logistics.
What is needed in a site establishment plan in the construction business? While it varies, there are some common elements that need to be addressed in any construction plan, including:
This is a detailed sketch or plan of the construction site, establishing its boundaries and including important elements like buildings, storage areas and safety facilities. Take into account any existing amenities on your site, like electricity and running water, so you can note them on your plan.
You’ll need designated places where people and possibly vehicles can enter and exit your site.
You’ll need running water, electricity and toilets on your worksite. You may also require a site office, lunch room, induction room or other onsite facilities. Temporary structures like trailers, demountable buildings and port-a-loos often prove to be the easiest options.
Security can be everything from fences, gates and cameras around your site to actual security personnel. All of these measures allow you to protect your site from intruders, theft, vandalism and other hazards. Protection of both your staff and the public is a high priority. Make sure you use signs to alert passers-by to your activities and let visitors to the site know what personal protective equipment (PPE) has to be worn.
If your development takes place anywhere near a road or footpath, you’ll need to include traffic control on your construction site establishment plan. Traffic management involves directing or diverting motorists, cyclists and pedestrians around or away from your site with the use of personnel, technology or equipment.
According to Safe Work Australia, everyone has a duty to ensure safety on a construction site. A person conducting a business or undertaking (PCBU) has a duty under the WHS Act to ensure within reasonable possibility that workers are not exposed to health and safety risks. Your construction site establishment plan should factor in safety measures such as personal protective equipment (PPE) and emergency response plans.
The construction process generates discarded materials and other debris, and it’s necessary to have a plan in place to dispose of them properly.
This is the part of your plan that determines how you will receive, store and distribute material onsite.
It’s important to consider the impact on the surrounding environment and how to mitigate that, as well as the relevant regulations and protections in place.
If it sounds like there’s a lot to consider when putting together a construction site establishment plan, there’s a simple solution: call in a professional to help.
A construction site planning professional has an in-depth knowledge of what is needed in a site establishment plan. The benefits of hiring one for your own planning include:
Construction site management professionals have experience creating construction site establishment plans that are functional and well-thought-out. They’ll remember the details that it’s easy to miss if you’re new to site planning. These include safety standards and the best practices in your industry.
Construction projects are impacted by regulations on both the state and federal levels, from the National Construction Code to the NSW environmental management guidelines for construction. A professional will save you a lot of reading and some potential headaches by making sure your plan fulfils all legal, safety and environmental regulations.
There are potential risks involved in all construction projects, including accidents and delays. A professional in construction site planning can help you anticipate those risks and make a plan that protects against them. This includes ensuring the safety of both your onsite staff and members of the public.
From equipment to materials to time itself, everything is a finite resource. A construction site planning professional can help you allocate your goods so that nothing goes to waste, including your time.
A professional with extensive experience in construction site planning knows how to allocate finances so that money doesn’t go to waste. While it might be cheaper to draft the plan in-house, the additional expense of hiring a professional pays off down the line with your budget spent in the most resourceful way possible.
A professional can ensure that your construction site establishment plan exceeds the standards of the industry. This is the first step to making sure your results do the same.
Basically, hiring a professional to help you with your construction site establishment plan is a way to achieve your construction objectives without compromising your schedule, your budget or the quality of your work.
The team at Site Security and Traffic Control (SSTC) knows a lot about plans and permits. With more than 25+ years of combined experience, we’ve gained a very thorough knowledge of what is needed in a site establishment plan. We’re a trusted client to many of Australia’s largest construction companies, and our construction-based planning services include construction traffic management plans, traffic control plans and swept path diagrams.
It can be hard to know which plans, approvals, licences and permits you need, which is why our in-house Authority Liaison helps you to make the right choice at the same time. The process of applying for different permits through different authorities is a complex one, so SSTC provides you with reliable access to local councils and governments for applications and approvals at affordable rates.
A family-owned and operated business with a military-informed sense of discipline, SSTC operates by the four key values of safety, teamwork, communication and integrity. These values will drive our approach as we work with you on your construction site establishment strategy.
If you’re ready to establish your construction site on a solid foundation, contact SSTC for a free quote.