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]

d046-16-ed-2