Page 214 - The City and Guilds Textbook: Plumbing Book 1 for the Level 3 Apprenticeship (9189), Level 2 Technical Certificate (8202) and Level 2 Diploma (6035)

The City & Guilds Textbook: Plumbing Book 1

 Table 4.1 Key specialist roles in the construction industry

Breaks down the Bill of Quantities into labour, materials and plant, and
KEY TERM applies a set payment rate for each one. This represents the amount it will
The estimator cost the contractor to complete each stage of the project. Added to this will
Overheads: costs that be a set percentage for overheads (site office costs and site/administration
include such things as site salaries) and profit.
offices and staff salaries. Responsible for sourcing and purchasing all the materials needed. They
The buyer will obtain quotes for the materials in the quantities required, together with
delivery times and quality assurances.
The planning Responsible for the pre-contract planning, and identifying the most
engineer economic and efficient way to use labour, plant and materials.
Responsible for all the items of mechanical plant used by the building
The plant contractor – from stock plant owned by the contractor or hire companies
manager – to carry out a specific task. The plant manager is also responsible for
maintenance and repair and the training of plant operators.
Accountable to the senior management for all health and safety aspects
The safety
officer on-site (safety inspections, safety records, accident investigations, and
safety training and inductions).
The contracts Supervises the creation and management of planning and building operations
manager contracts, liaising with head office staff and site agents as needed.

Members of the on-site team

So far we have looked at the roles and responsibilities of the site management
team. Here, we consider the on-site workers who report to the site management.

Subcontractors
Subcontractors play an important role within the construction industry.
Subcontractors will enter into a contract with the main building contractor
for a specific or specialised part of the contract, such as plumbing, heating
and ventilation, air conditioning, electrical installation, plastering, bricklaying
and joinery/carpentry. The contract may be labour only, where the building
contractor purchases the materials, or it may be on a supply-and-fix basis.
The architect may specify a nominated subcontractor in the initial contract,
who must then, with the client’s permission, be used.

The site supervisor
Also known as the construction manager or project manager, they are the
building contractor’s main representative on-site, responsible for the general
day-to-day running of the site. This can include preparing budgets, hiring team
members, handling deliveries and overseeing construction duties.

The trade supervisor

Each of the different trades on-site will have its own supervisor. They will be
responsible for the overall running of their company’s contract on the site.
Their tasks include:

l determining work requirements and the allocation of duties to the operatives
under their direct control
p Figure 4.3 On-site trades l consulting with other managers to co-ordinate activities with other trades

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