Holdfast Training Services Trial Blog

The Temporary Works Design Manager thinks that I was appointed as the Temporary Works Supervisor (TWS) a couple of months ago, but in fact I refused to sign the appointment letter because I’m not wet behind the ears and I recognise a hospital pass when I see one. Apparently all of his underlings have refused to tell him this though.  Regardless of the formalities I have in fact been fulfilling the role of TWC and TWS (the temporary works department are woefully under resourced) since we started on site.

The temporary works implementation process has now been issued so I have defined roles and responsibilities to discharge and am happy to take up my appointment (for the few weeks I have left on site). My first task was to formalise the temporary works inspection register, in accordance with the process that I helped draft, and to produce a template for other sites within the project to use.

Most of our work is managed by one main subcontractor (Volker Stevin or VSL) therefore we have stipulated that they submit their own inspection records to me and I will review their records and conduct spot checks on their paperwork and their temporary works elements on site.

As luck would have it I’ve poked a bit of a hornets nest with the first item that I chose to review, namely the access gangways that they use between shore and the jack up barges. The proprietary system used is shown on the pdf.  They have improvised a fixing detail to the ancient timber on top of the jetty wall and have made no allowance within the design for any horizontal actions despite the gangways being used at an angle.

When I queried this with VSL they initially tried the “proprietary system” defence from personnel of increasing seniority (Senior Engineer, TWC, then Site Agent), followed by the “but we’ve only got it on site for a few more weeks” defence, followed by the submission of random bits of information that don’t actually answer the question I’ve asked them.

As “prove to me that this is safe” wasn’t working I have asked them for confirmation of what specification has been given for the fixing detail, what it should be fixed to, maximum angle of the gangway, restraint against sliding, detail of connections between gangways, and whether accidental actions been considered. Unsurprisingly the site team could answer none of these questions and have farmed them out to their designers. Which leaves me with the interesting question of what to do in the meantime, as no-one apart from me really seems to want to push the issue for fear it may delay the works.

Note: The image below is actually an earlier image where the gangway spanned from shore to barge and there were no issues with the use of the gangway.  Currently the JUB is further out and one gangway spans from the jetty to the inner pile line (sloping down as the piles are lower than the jetty) and another gangway from the piles up to the JUB.  I will upload a more recent picture when I can get back up in the cage, and also a close up of the improvised fixing detail on the jetty. [Picture updated 11/11/16]

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We are having some issues with the supply of concrete meeting the specification (its under strength) and I am curious as to why and how this could have been managed better.  I don’t think the contracts are robust enough to manage the risk of getting it wrong as we appear to be dealing with the aftermath of it all rather than our subcontractor.  Tail wagging the dog scenario.  The questions goes out there as to whether anyone else has had any major dramas with their concrete not meeting the required standard and have you had any issues with your supply chain?  If so, what has been done about it?

Repeat answers from the whatsapp group greatly appreciated 🙂

This kind of links in to AER3 and a discussion that the civils were having on WhatsApp.  I will leave the concrete supplier conundrum to Jo. But I hope my fellow Phase 2 PETs will all add comments. 

I wish I had agreed from the outset that I would do 6 months on the site team then 6-8 weeks with the commercial team. 

I also wish I had more of a data base of TMRs and AERs to baseline against.