Paul Naybour
Describe five ways in which a project manager would make sure HSE was dealt with correctly on the project
- Project Health, Safety and Environment Plan – This is a mandatory document that must be produced by the project manager for any project. It can possibly form part of the Project Management Plan. The plan should include key information such as the scope of the project, roles and responsibilities of personnel on the project, the standards and regulations that the project must comply with, the reporting procedures that will be executed, specific project processes and training records for all project personnel. The project should be produced with an input from any relevant stakeholders, and will be reviewed and signed off by the authorised health and safety body within the organisation.
- Risk Assessments – Risk assessments are also a legal duty that should be carried out by Project Managers to comply with HSE objectives. A risk assessment is a tool that is completed for all activities to identify where risks can be eliminated, and where they can’t, the likelihood of the risk is analysed, and controls measures are put into place to mitigate the risks. Risk assessments will differ on different projects, from an office environment where manual handling of archiving boxes is required to a construction site where a tower crane is used to complete the lifting works. All risk assessments must be reviewed where a change to the activity or environment has occurred.
- Training – The Project Manager must ensure that all risk assessments are reviewed by all personnel carrying out the relevant task, and they are fully briefed on the task at hand. A record of this should be kept, and a signature should be gained to show that all personnel have received the briefing. Furthermore, the project manager must ensure that the personnel have the relevant training in place to carry out the task, as this could lead to an incident. On construction projects, most contractors require all personnel to hold a CSCS card to show that they have knowledge on basis health and safety issues. When carrying out a specific task or operating machinery, they must then show additional training or certification, in date to show they are competent in completing the task in a safe manner.
- Safety Equipment – It is a legal duty for an employer to provide safety equipment to all employees that remains in good condition, and is appropriate to the task in hand stated in the risk assessment. On construction sites, most contractors require five mandatory pieces of PPE including hat, boots, gloves, glasses and high viz. Although there are circumstances where the project manager will need to look at additional equipment, usually outlined in the method statement. An example of this may be hearing protection which should be used where activities exert a high noise frequency which can cause long term deafness.
- The HSE now want Project Managers to understand that stress related problems are a health and safety concern that must be addressed. The project manager needs to ensure that they are setting their team realistic targets within an agreed timescales, and not expecting them to take on a great work load. They must also ensure that sociable working hours are being carried out, and that welfare facilities are provided to ensure personnel can have regular breaks in a comfortable area. To ensure this is being carried out correctly, all employees should be consulted on a regular basis, so they can feel that an approachable culture is implemented, and they feel they can raise a concern without being penalised.
A very good answer but a bit too long for 15 minutes I guess. I would re-word as
The Project Health, Safety and Environment Plan is a mandatory document that must be produced by the project manager for any project. It can form part of the Project Management Plan. The plan should include key information such as the scope of the project, roles and responsibilities of personnel on the project, the standards and regulations that the project must comply with, the reporting procedures that will be executed, specific project processes and training records for all project personnel.
Thanks for all your feedback. As you say, i think time constraints in the exam will limit the amount i can write but if i can get as much information into examples just now then i understand what i need to write.
Rule of 5 is not something i have came across?
477 words – about 3/4 sentences per answer in most examples is common. I did an ‘average’ across multiple sample answers online showing about 350 words for each question suggesting about 70 words for each part. Having said that I confess I, and I suspect most in these days of the keyboard, need a lot of practice to get up to that speed for the exam…
(I assume you know about the ‘rule of 5’ where questions are usually broken into 5 elements?)
Describe five key areas a project manager should be aware of relating contracts
1.A project manager needs to ensure that the contract outlines all the parties and stakeholders involved. This will include all the relevant company names, registration details and ensure they are legally entitled to enter into the project agreement. It is also important that the contract clearly provides a description of the scope of works or services that the project will be carrying out. Both these items are important, for example in a construction project, the contract would need to outline the scope of works of the new build, refurbishment, demolition etc. and provide clarity on the parties including client, project sponsor, project manager, contractor etc.
2.The contract must also be clear on describing the roles and responsibilities that each stakeholder holds. On a construction project, this can include roles including architect, M & E consultant, civil engineer, CDM Coordinator, client, contractor etc. It is crucial that all this information is provided in the contract to ensure that when any issues arise regarding a particular discipline, the actions can be allocated efficiently. If a design issue with regards to M & E and architectural coordination becomes apparent, it makes it easier for the project manager to allocate actions to both these roles smoothly.
3.It is important that the contract outlines the quality standards that will be expected and should be adhered to within the project. Also included should be the hold points in which quality assurance will be taken place, and who will be carrying out the inspections to ensure the quality management is executed in accordance with the standards. On a construction project, a Test and Inspection Plan is usually included within outlines all the hold points in which inspections should be carried out, what standards should be me and who is responsible for doing the inspection and sign off.
4.A contract should include all information with regards to timings, costs and milestones. It should be fully outlined when a project is expected to be complete, the budget that has been set, and the milestones that will be expected to be met throughout the lifecycle of a project. Furthermore, it should also advise of any damages for late payment or incentives for early payments. On a construction project, a contract should provide a clear programme which outlines the commencement and completion date and all milestones of key stages eg. Design completion or contractor appointment.
5.The contract should clearly outline the assignment and management of risk to all stakeholders involved in a project. It should show who owns the responsibility for dealing with risk, and if they can in turn assign responsibility to others. On a construction project, it a risk register is very commonly used. This outlines the risk, the measures to be taken into place to eliminate or mitigate that risk, and the party responsible in managing that risk such as the design team or contractor.