CONSTRUCTION PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT

2014

Introduction
Planning for a project in a remote area involves lot of planning and strategies. The basic
job of a project manager is not only to complete project in time but also to finish it with
the best of the available resources, management of men, machines and material in safe
and economic manner by optimum utilizing the installed capacities and under all
adverse conditions.

Understanding the problem

The situation here is a typical problem faced at construction site located in remote
regions. Both workforce and management slowly become tired with a life of work and no
source of entertainment. It leads to heightened level of frustration among people
working in remote areas. But the case presented here has worsened, possibly due to
lack of basic infrastructure i.e. proper housing and healthcare facilities and easy
availability of liquor. Also it is evident that a safety officer is not present at the work site
and work force is not kept motivated by the leadership. As a result the project is losing
both quality and time.
Summarizing the main Problems

Absenteeism Due To Sickness

Absenteeism Due To Quarrels & Drinking

Accidents at site

Technical problems

Working condition at remote location.

Less productivity & irregularity of workman hampering the project progress.

Involvement of Dangerous / hazardous activity

Possible reasons of various problems

Involvement of High risk construction activity.

Improper Manpower Management Planning & absenteeism of workmen.

Un-Hygienic surroundings & Temporary Accommodation

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Non availability of Medical facilities at the vicinity of the project Site

Availability of Alcohol & Consumption of Alcohol by the Labours.

Work related risk of rural construction workers.

Storage of materials

Technical problems

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Needs and their fulfillment on site

1. Involvement of High risk construction activity
Proper construction methodology is to be established prior to starting of
activity. Design stability to be ensured for each supporting/ enabling
works. Identify risk involvement of each project related activity and their
impact. Highlight/ intimate risk identified and collect the suitable
economical suggestion through conducting inter brainstorming or
consultancy from outside. Involvement of human resource to be
minimized by identifying alternate automated methods. Explore the
possibility of engagement of modern technology applicable for the project
work. Ensuring the good condition of the machinery involved. Prepare
methodology statement understandable for frontline supervisor/
technician who have more practical knowledge and less theoretical
knowledge.

Recommendation for dangerous and hazardous construction activity:

Ensure preparation of proper construction methodology prior to start.

Conduct training for the supervisor/ technician on the methodology adopted.

Identify more machinery and reduce manpower involvement as much as

possible.

Keep equipment in good condition.

Ensure the stability of the enabling structure.

Regular conduct training for workmen engaged in particular activity.

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2. Improper
Manpower
Management
absenteeism of workmen

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Planning

&

Prepare a proper schedule of the Project and Assign Resources to each Task i.e. each
Activity, Assigning Resources means Identify manpower required for each Task and
what is the availability of manpower and how much work has been done till date and
how much work is to be done. Identify Type of manpower required i.e. Skilled (or)
unskilled.
If manpower is in adequate try to get more manpower or Try to use the available
manpower Fully so that maximum amount of work to complete and try to complete the
Urgent woks such that it does not affect our project duration, reschedule the project and
updated schedule to head office and inform them weekly work progress so that they can
help you to overcome the manpower problem or, try to motivate the available manpower
by giving extra benefits if they complete the project in time. Or If manpower is very less
than required then immediately inform head office so that they can send some more
manpower so that the project can run smoothly.
Understand the project in all respects and get all details of the projects i.e. Site
condition, contract conditions, technical specifications, construction techniques,
and time frame. Working out the labour component in various parameters of the
project .by using constants to workout labour requirement Classifying and categorizing
labour requirement and various jobs by level of skill, responsibility, nature of work etc.
Determine the duration of each job or task at every stage of project.
Estimate the number of manpower required in view of the anticipated of absenteeism
and labour turnover and the stability factor.
Manpower management has some principles to follow that should be known by the
project manager and also the management of the company.

Recommendation on Manpower Management Planning

Manpower planning involve some of steps which the project

manager has to follow for the same engagement of manpower,
because the tunnel project is a large project with more number of
manpower involved in the project.

Developing source of manpower supply for all categories of man

power.

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Understanding the project in all respect and get details of the

project i.e. Site condition, Contract condition, Technical
specifications, Construction techniques and time frame.

Working out the labour component in various parameters of the

project, by using consultants to work out labour requirement.

Classifying and categorising labour requirement and various jobs by

level of skill, responsibility, nature of work, etc.

Estimation of manpower required in view of the anticipated of

absenteeism and labour turnover and stability factor.

Ensure the guideline set by the organization for engagement of

manpower to be followed.

Following principles should be applied

Care and skill should be exercised in the selection of employees.

Introduction to the job should be friendly, skillful and adequate.

Each employee should be made to feel that his efforts are really
appreciated.

Consideration should be given to the effect that each rule and

instruction may have on the feelings of employees.

Employees should have apart in planning those things that affect

their working conditions.

Management should be absolutely fair in every policy and every

practice.
o Each employee should have a feeling of pride in the importance of
his work and his place in the company

3. Un-Hygienic surroundings & Temporary Accommodation

Before Starting of the project Management has to well plan because this project is
long duration so manpower involved will be more it is the one of the preliminary need
for the employees & workers.
Unhygienic surrounding observed in the project are as follows:

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Poor drainage condition resulting in stagnant water causing growth of

mosquito, which develop the possibility of malaria in workmen.

Shallow tube oil for drinking water resulting in water diseases.

Improper toilet and latrine facilities for workmen.

Inadequate space for leaving.

Cooking facilities not available towards labour hut.

Canteen for foo not allotted to labours.

Cleaning of waste material from the colony area.

Suggestion Methods for Hygiene Factors

Management has to well plan for the temporary shelters in such a way that number
of workers will be involved in the project and how many shelters are required and for
different category of employees will be working at site and different types of shelters
should be constructed with different facility what all materials required for
construction any how much time required to construct it so that all those thing should
be completed before starting of project, Management should built temporary shelters
for the workers who will be working at site because the site is at remote area
workers cannot be able to say at their home and come for work it is the preliminary
requirement for the workers so management has to take extra precautions, A site
office also be built with all necessary requirements, drinking water should be good
because most of diseases are spread by water so it is important step to taken care
by management.

4. Non availability of Medical facilities at the vicinity of the

project Site
Management should send a medical team to site and they should stay there till
completion of project. They should be supplied necessary equipments and medical
kits so that they can manage any hazardous situation i.e. any sudden accidents they
can handle the situation, any epidemic occurred they can overcome that situation.
By this work will be smoothly progressed and number of workers absenteeism will
be reduced. Worker who is sick will be taken care by medical team he will be
recovered quickly and he can start doing the work so that manpower problem is
solved.

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5. Availability of Alcohol & Consumption of Alcohol by the

Labours
This is the major problem with labour because they drink daily after work so that they
get some relief from whole day work and body pains, but management should try to
avoid drinking alcohol or try to get them in limited dose so that they have it n just go
for sleep if they get it in excess quantities they will be drinking whole night and next
day they will be absenteeism and also after excess drinking they start quarreling
between themselves its a big problem for the project manager while quarreling they
may be any accidents that leads to more absenteeism that will also indirectly effects
the progress of project. If this quarreling happens regularly then management has to
take some precaution steps to handle that problem. Such as try to avoid the
availability of alcohol near the site so that the labour cannot consume much alcohol
and this problem is solved and the project may continue smoothly.

6. Work related risk of rural construction workers

The workers are vulnerable not only because they are rural workers who do not
enjoy the same equal social protection as their urban counterparts. They
are vulnerable also because they work in the construction industry which brings with
it a set of risks that are particularly serious for construction workers. They are also
migrants who are not yet fully integrated into urban life and keep distinctive lifestyles.
Therefore, even if the state policy intends to extend the formal social security
schemes to these workers, a combination of work related risks, and social risks and
personal understanding of the risks, often expressed with their status as rural-urban
migrants, may lead to the failure of a simple extension of social security.
To understand the challenges better, it is important to distinguish work related and
status related risks that affect the livelihood of these workers.
Some subcontractors deliberately holds the money for a long time to earn interest.
When a subcontractor mainly hires from his home village or state, he is more likely
to behave in a more responsible way, as he has to face pressure back home. Late or
missing pay is more common when a subcontractor hires from outside his home
state.
Another work related risk is injuries. Construction work involves hard labour and
operation of heavy equipment. Industrial accidents are frequent, especially among
poorly trained and inexperienced workers.
Measures to minimize the work related risks:

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Ensure time release of labour payment and monitor actual payment towards
labour involved.

Ensure safety standard for protection against industrial injuries

7. Storage of Materials
This is also a major problem for such a big project and at remote place materials will
be at site well before start of project so store rooms should be properly built well in
advance so that it will not create a problem while execution of work for that what all
employees required and how many number required should be planned before so
that materials are properly handled by this only the cost of project depends.

8. Technical problems
The management should have complete knowledge of what all technical problem may
occurs while execution of project and it has to take proper precautions and it should be
well planned before so that it would not affect the project duration, what are causes of
the problems and how to overcome the problems. There can be technical problems like
Roof Spalling, Water Seepage, etc. in tunnel construction. The cause of roof spalling is
type of formation of rock, rock with excess of foliations, joint & poor rock mass leads to
the rock spalling. The cause of water seepage is mainly due to the discontinuous rock
formation, Ground water table height etc.
Suggestion & Method to overcome the Problems
Tunnel should be properly scaling to remove loose rock mass & cement grouting should
be done so that the rock will get some extra strength so that it can hold properly it
cannot be fallen down easily. Tunnel should be properly provision of steel ribs
immediately so that it will be support on the steel rids and work can be progress
smoothly and project manager should have all this materials well in advance because
these materials are required suddenly.
While designing the tunnel they should provide proper drainage system so that if the
water is accumulating in the tunnel it will affect the progress of work, so drainage
system should be such that water accumulated should be quickly drained any from
working space so that it does not affect the work progress. Or proper grouting should be
done so that the rock will get more strength so that it can stop the water seepage into
the tunnel. This is the easy method to overcome the seepage problem, the other

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method to overcome the seepage problem covering the tunnel section with water
proofing membranes it will also not allow the water to seepage into the tunnel so that
work can be progress smoothly.
Recommendation to Management
Top Management should be more responsible and it should have to properly monitor the
progress of work and if any urgent needs at site should be fulfilled as quickly as
possible and it should see that the lower and middle management is working properly
are not. If any accidents are hazardous situation then top management has to urge to
do some help to lower and middle management so that they can overcome the situation
they must send some team so that will help them and work will be progress smoothly.
Tunnel project is a very large project it will take lot of time to complete the whole project
so management has to be well prepared of all the fore coming situations i.e. labors
problems, absenteeism etc. Management has to determine the functions of each level
of management it should be clear for all the employees and management has to monitor
such that each employee is doing his duty properly are not.

Hygiene factors
Project managers must identify series of factor in the work situation of individuals that is
influencing their attitudes & performance and whose intensity and duration affected
their work behavior. Hygiene factor is one of the factors that affect the
individual performance. Hygiene factor in the job, when adequate, had negative effect
on employees attitudes. However, when present, they had no positive effect. This
meant that the provision of good pay and employment conditions were absolutely
necessary to attract good people to the company. However, it would be false to expect
that having provided these things, employees would give their very best efforts. Hygiene
factors are something that have to be provided and without which no person worth his
while will join the organization. Hygiene factors are necessary to create motivation but
are powerless by themselves. This mean that if hygiene factors are absent in a job,
employs will not feel motivated. But the techniques of motivation will not work if pay and
employment conditions are not adequate. The lesson for management is that if you do
not expect motivated work force. However, if you provide hygiene factors it can ensure
you in certain circumstances that a job gets done in the quantitative sense. But if you
are looking for quality, desire to excel, concern for economy , care of the materials and
equipments, then you need to create a motivating environment and this is what
Herzberg called management. Herzberg's research proved that people will strive to
achieve 'hygiene' needs because they are unhappy without them, but once satisfied the

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effect soon wears off - satisfaction is temporary. Then as now, poorly managed
organizations fail to understand that people are not 'motivated' by addressing 'hygiene'
needs. People are only truly motivated by enabling them to reach for and satisfy the
factors that Herzberg identified as real motivators, such as achievement, advancement,
development, etc., which represent a far deeper level of meaning and fulfillment.
Examples of Herzberg's 'hygiene' needs (or maintenance factors) in the workplace are:

Providing a proper direction (even if Theory Y)

Policy

Relationship with supervisor.

Work conditions.

Salary

Company car

Status

Security

Relationship with subordinates

Personal life

Motivation factors
Motivation of Employees in Construction Project
Motivation is the driving force within individuals that drive them physiologically and
psychologically to pursue one or more goals to fulfill their needs or expectations.
Motivators may be intrinsic or extrinsic. An example of an intrinsic motivator is the selffulfillment of a worker as a result of performing a task well.

Motivation of labor in Construction Project

Construction labor can be motivated. This is important because dwindling productivity is
a major problem confronting construction today. Productivity has decreased every year
for the past decade, in part because of increasing design complexity, more rigorous

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federal and state regulations and socio-economic changes affecting the work force. Our
findings indicate that a highly motivated workforce enhances productivity and project
effectiveness.
In construction, the work itself that is, the building of a structure for all to behold is a
key motivator for all levels of management and the work force. Therefore, a wellplanned project seems to be the first and most important step to achieve good
productivity. Unfortunately, on large industrial projects, craftsmen often receive only
minimal amounts of information about their work.
Duplication of effort, numerous modifications to plans, and schedules that consistently
slip makes it difficult to maintain a motivated workforce. On large power plant projects,
changes in design and problems with material availability are considered the major
demotivating factors. With effective pre-planning, the availability of materials will be
checked before workers are assigned to an area so workers do not start in one location
only to have to be shifted to another location. Care in this respect should improve
worker motivation and productivity and help promote a high level of accomplishment.
Most foremen and craftsmen take considerable pride in the work they do. Having to rip
out their work and redo it can be extremely discomforting. In fact, if it is extensive,
redoing parts of a project may be the worst demotivator of all. Craftsmen view
overcrowded conditions and crew interference due to extensive rework as demotivating.
Worse, such problems can create hostile feelings as a result of the frustration. Design
standardization can help to minimize rework and improve morale.

Motivational Programs
Although some unique motivational programs were found, the vast majority can be
grouped into five primary categories: goal setting, incentives, positive reinforcement
(i.e., recognition for a job well done), worker participation, and work facilitation. The
following presents a dissertation on each of the five categories discussing first their use
in other industries and then their application to construction.

Motivational techniques
The motivational techniques are as follows:

A letter of praise from costumer directly shared with the employees who delivered
the service.

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Providing training to employees. Offer them opportunity to improve themselves.

Involve employees in decisions that directly affect them.

Special wage increase should be given to employees who do their jobs well.

Provide better job description so that emplyees will know exactly what is
expected of them.

Individual incentive bonuses based upon values that need to be reinforced.

Having good equipment to work with. Good working conditions.

Being trustworthy and respectable.

Job security.

Feedback should be constructive and timely.

Welfare amenities
To mitigate desire productivity the welfare amenities shoulf d be ensured towards wrken.
The following welfare amenities at site for workers should be provided.

Canteen

Rest rooms

Night shelter

Clean drinking water

Latrines and urinals

Washing facilities

First aid facilities

Housing

Crche

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Absenteeism and Turnover

The Department of Energy study indicated that the absenteeism and turnover are a
relatively minor concern to workmen. Still, they can have a major impact on total project
productivity. High rates of absenteeism are a concern, however, to individuals who had
to carry extra workloads to compensate for missing crewmembers. The low job
satisfaction resulted in high absence from work and high turnover. Thus absenteeism
and turnover can be viewed as effects of motivational Activities or demotivational
concerns. The cost of motivational programs is often justified by the reduced
absenteeism
and
turnover.
For example, the cost of M2 group Engineering Pvt Ltd. Big Designing & Construction
Company On eight projects has been more than paid for by the reduction in
absenteeism and the reduced costs associated with hiring fewer workmen. Director
indicated that it required some amount per employee to process paper work plus two to
three weeks of each new employee's time to learn the job. Again, the figures on
attendance and turnover measure the motivational effort that is financially justified.
Moreover, awards for good records are perhaps the most effective method to decrease
absenteeism.

Recommendation to management
Considering the project analysis and feasibility study
recommendation should be extended towards management:-

made

the

following

Deployment of consultant for construction method finalization.

Deployment of Doctor and first aid centre with adequate medicine facilities.

Arrangement of periodical medical check-ups for labours.

Proper screening of labour prior to engage them in risk job.

Technical knowledge to be screened for workers.

Identifying more resource pull for workers.

Promoting motivational scheme for workers.

Incentive scheme to be implemented for enhancing motivation towards work.

Special care to be taken in accounts of hygiene aspect of labour hut,

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Separate labour to be deployed for maintenance of labour colony.

Remote allowance can be introduced for labours.

2014

Bibliography

A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge. William R.Duncan2.

Management in organization by Koontz and Odoneal, MacGraw Hill3.

NCP 22 (Construction Personnel Management)

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