Things to do when planning work in your school during the summer holiday

Mark Norrell, Director, Property & Construction

With the school summer holidays just around the corner, many children are starting to get excited for those six weeks of fun. But for school staff with facilities and property maintenance responsibilities, the holiday period can sometimes be a very busy period. This is because it’s when many projects and building work are carried out.?

I’m sure all works have been planned well in advance of the fast approaching holiday period, especially as resources are often tight and most trades are very busy during this time. It’s important to recognise that before these projects begin, there are a number of matters that need to be put in place, some of which are a regulatory and a legal responsibility.??

Your responsibilities?

Schools have a number of client duties under the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015. If you or your school leadership team are procuring building work, please ensure you meet these duties.

Your action plan

There are lots of matters to consider, so we've put together a To Do list of the key things you’ll need to consider and actions you’ll need to put in place to ensure the project goes as smoothly as possible.?

• Have a clear project brief, including the scope of works.?
• Ensure other duty holders are appointed as appropriate. You need to make sure they have the right information about the risks and how they are being managed.?
• Make sure your contractor has sufficient time and resources to do the job you need them to do.
• Make suitable arrangements for managing the project and plan the work carefully to ensure the risks involved are managed from start to finish.
• Appoint the appropriate property professionals required to deliver the project, ensuring they will supply the right people for the right job at the right time.?
• Ensure sufficient time and resources are allocated to the project, and cooperate and coordinate your work with all the stakeholders.?
• Ensure the asbestos management survey and refurbishment and demolition survey have been completed. Prepare and make this and other relevant information available.
• Make sure the principal designer and principal contractor carry out their duties
• Think about the parking arrangements.?
• Ensure welfare facilities are provided.
• Consider changes to the fire management plan and your fire risk assessment for the duration of the work.?
• Consider what other activities may happen within the school site during the construction work, such as a summer fete or community uses, and how they will be impacted by the project.?
• Take into account other contractors who may be on site at the same time.?
• Consider the actions you need to take if there are any issues that impact access roads or your neighbours.?
• Communicate all information effectively and to those who need to know.
• Think about the impact the works will have on your security arrangements and alarm systems. Will this mean there are restrictions on working times?
• Make sure waste is managed properly and skips are located where agreed.?
• What first aid is available and where is the nearest A&E??

The above is just a summary of some key considerations when carrying out construction work and there are many more you will need to consider.?

If you would prefer to outsource the project management responsibilities to experienced professionals who will make sure the regulations are adhered to and the work is completed well and on time, contact us to find out more.?