World Fence News

40 • JUNE 2017 • WORLD FENCE NEWS In the fence industry there is a great variety of project types, but they share a lot of commonalities. The need for careful planning and preparation is more acute than in oth- er sectors of the construction world, as a lot of fencing projects are of a short- er duration than with other trades. The environments in which we work vary greatly. Poor planning and preparation are more punishing in the fencing world than in other disci- plines. When we run short of anything it causes delay and financial loss. A good way to prevent being in this situation is to lay out at the start of the job everything you need to finish the job safely and on time. This might seem like a lot but there are really only six main resourc- es that need to be identified and se- cured to achieve that goal. The acronym PERMIT is an easy way to remember the six primary re- sources that are needed to successful- ly and safely complete any project. P (Personnel) The people selected to perform must be capable of performing the task safely. This may involve training, certification, demonstrating or just explaining the task. The appropriate number of people must be assigned to the task. A clear chain of command must be established. Backup person- nel must be available in case a crew- member doesn't show up. E (Equipment) A thorough assessment must be made of the task to be accomplished and a list of every tool and piece of equipment that's needed should be prepared. It is important to reference the number of workers and ensure that no tools must be shared. R (Room to work) In every task an assessment must be made of the space needed to store materials, store equipment and have access to the work area. This applies equally to setting up a large crawler crane on site or tiling a bathroom. M (Material) Obviously, no work can be done unless the material is on site in suffi- cient quantities to allow work to pro- ceed in a manner consistent with the number of workers assigned to that task, the room available to stage the material and the schedule. Often there is just enough room to stage material for a few days and then get resupplied when the space frees up. It takes care- ful planning to work on a JIT (just in time) schedule. I (Information) It can be a difficult task to stay up to date with all the revisions, ad- dendums, schedules, RFIs (requests for information), site safety plans and subcontractor shop drawings, but it is a vital part of any construction proj- ect. All this information must be avail- able to the lead person on site. It is not enough to have it in different locations in the field office; copies should be made and given to the lead person in the form of a job kit. T (Time) There's never time to do it right; but there's always time to do it over. This is a fact of life in the construction business. It is important to accurately assess the time required to complete the task allowing for all possible con- tingencies such as weather delays, ab- senteeism, power failures, fire drills, elevator or hoist breakdowns and emergencies. Float or makeup time should also be included in the assess- ment. Patrick Tarrant is the founder and CEO of Crane Management, a consulting agency for construction companies in New York City. A well- known industry professional with over 40 years ex- perience, Tarrant is frequently hired as an expert witness in construction and safety cases. He is on a mission to spread safety awareness to the public and hopes that PERMIT will be im- plemented into every workplace. For more information visit the web site www.cranemgm.com. There's never time to do it right; but there's always time to do it over. This is a fact of life in the construction business. It is important to accurately assess the time required to complete the task allowing for all possible contingencies such as weather delays, absenteeism, power failures, fire drills, elevator or hoist breakdowns and emergencies. Six safety guidelines for fencing BY PATRICK TARRANT, FOUNDER AND CEO OF CRANE MANAGEMENT

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