General Contractor Safety and Quality Performance Improvement Program

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Overview 

Company – General Contractor 

Industry – Electrical Generation 

Category – Construction 

Project Budget – Master Services Agreement 

Goal – Recovery plan to improve safety and quality performance for every project, monitoring KPI’s for each site including NLTI rate, safety opportunities, and inspections with summaries. 

Obstacles – Safety and quality are dynamic processes that require constant maintenance to uphold high standards on construction sites 

Solutions – Subject Matter Expert conducted Gap Analysis of Safety and Quality Programs. Development and implementation of the safety and quality manuals re-shaping the organizations culture, processes and procedures. 

Results – Improved safety and quality statistics that are measured and monitored year over year and from site to site. 

Goals 

Achieve COR Certification 

COR certification, and looking to build and improve our safety culture and statistics through the programs governed by the Contractors Safety Program and continually improve a safe workplace 

Successfully implementation of the program and training to be instructed for all Contractor staff 

Develop system to measure KPI’s including NLTI rate, safety opportunities, and inspections with summary reports provided to Owner upon request 

Creation of a robust subcontract prequalification process 

Implementation of a revised quality manual to better suit Owner projects, including inspection and test planning 

Obstacles 

Management of Change to improve safety and quality performance 

Challenges to meeting the goals of the project: 

  • Safety and quality are dynamic processes that require constant maintenance to uphold high standards on construction sites 
  • Replacement of subcontracts with poor records and identify a need for additional controls with all subcontractors 
  • Revised processes and procedures required to achieve safety and quality improvements would require a culture change across the organization 
  • Workers and subcontractors at site required training and ongoing awareness of the program requirements
  • Program needed long-term monitoring of KPI’s and reporting to ensure continual improvement  

Solution

PTAG’s Team of Subject Matter Experts Delivered and Implemented the Program 

Contractor MSA was suspended in Q2 of 2016 due to an increased number of safety and quality issues. PTAG’s Team were engaged on the project in Aug. 2016 to provide a complete assessment of the existing safety and quality programs to determine gaps and the remediation effort that would be needed to improve these programs 

The Team developed and implemented the processes and procedural changes required for improving transparency to the contractor’s supervision performance. Identified areas for improved training opportunities and created a program for improving supervisor safety awareness. 

Created a program of increased supervision awareness through training for the evaluation of supervisors’ safety competence 

Identified the need for increased management communication and the reinforcement documentation for improving communication 

Providing additional safety audits for contractor’s safety team to coach supervisors and workers through challenges and the planning of these techniques. 

Revised and directed the implementation of the revised quality manual including inspection and test plans – E.g. CWB welding standards 

Implementation of the NCR program with communication plan   

PTAG PROCESS 

SMEs Delivered, Implemented, Administered and Monitored the Program 

  1. Review and Assess 
  2. Report Results 
  3. Develop Program and Training 
  4. Implement and Administer 
  5. Monitor for Results 
  6. Transition for Ongoing Support 

PROCESS RESULT 

SMEs Delivered and Implemented the Program 

PTAG’s TEAM of 2 SMEs delivered the expertise needed for safety and quality performance improvement which resulted in achieving COR Certification on first attempt and re-engagement of the existing Construction MSA. 

It was recognized by both Contractor and Owner the benefits of a robust safety and quality program and the need for monitoring and continuous improvement 

RESULTS SUCCESS 

Since the implementation of the revised Safety and Quality programs, the organization’s culture continues to improve with the goal of zero safety incidents and zero Non Conformance Reports 

Through additional controls, procedures and guidelines have demonstrated significantly improved statistics 

Goals are 0 LTI’s & 10% reduction for NLTI’s on a yearly basis 

ACHIEVEMENTS 

52% reduction in NLTI rate since 2016 

No Orders to Comply  

Fulltime QA advisor 

“Creating a work environment in which the absence of incidents and injuries is a reality” 

PTAG – General Contractor – Safety and Quality Improvement – Case StudyDownload

PTAG provides leading firms in the Power, Oil & Gas, Petrochemical, Mining, and Capital Infrastructure markets with qualified People, efficient Business Processes, and Information Management Systems that ensure consistently successful delivery and efficient operation of major capital projects. 

Sign-up Open: The Importance of Front-End Planning and Leveraging Industry Best Practices

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Join Feroz Ashraf and Michael Dubreuil for a two-part Webinar. Each 1hr session will be direct and to the point providing practical and validated examples on the Importance of Front-End Planning and Leveraging Industry Best Practices.

Click here to Register:

Globally, an increased focus on health, safety, environmental, and regulatory requirements is impacting project costs, all while the pressure to maintain project objectives to meet tighter budgets, schedules and quality requirements exists. It is becoming imperative to rigorously plan and define the projects well.  The ability to do so is defining company and project teams success

Join us, as Senior PTAG practitioners walk you through practical step by step approaches and strategies covering the following topics:

Session One – 1:00 to 2:00 pm EDT, September 22nd:

  1. Understand the top 8 reasons why projects go off-track
  2. Examine how Front-End Planning and a rigorous staged-gate process is crucial
  3. Learn how and when to use Construction Industry Institute (CII) Front-End Planning tools, such as the Project Definition Rating Index (PDRI) to determine the “state of readiness” and “maturity level” of your project.
  4. Review how to assess the Project Complexity Index and Maturity Levels– and to adapt the Execution Plan accordingly
  5. Determine why Initial Project Set-up, Team Alignment and a focussed List of Deliverables are important

Session Two – 1:00 to 2:00 pm EDT, September 29th (will build on our first session)

  1. Review why a consistent Project Controls and Risk Analysis methodology is critical
  2. Learn how a simplified, interactive Project Management & Project Controls Handbook – is a key to Project Management and Delivery Success
  3. Quick review of Value Engineering and Value Improvement Practices
  4. Look into Integrated Project Management Structure and Systems – I2PD
  5. Understand why an Integrated Project Execution Plan (IPEP) is a roadmap to success
  6. Bring it all together, the PTAG Playbook for successful project execution.

These sessions are part of PTAG’s ongoing webinar series on Best Practises in Project Management & Project Controls. PTAG works with sustaining and capital projects owners around the world and is passionate about ensuring the successful delivery of every project, especially in this ever growing complex and uncertain environment.

Best Practices in Project Management for Nuclear Engineers

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Calling all Nuclear Engineers and Scientists! Join PTAG this fall for the online course through Ontario Tech University on Best Practices in Project Management.

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Non-Conformance

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Non-conformances are problems that have been found and need be addressed. They can be found anywhere – in a product, in service delivery, in work execution, in a process or even in the Quality Management System itself.

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PTAG Presentation on I2PD for the Ontario Power Generation (OPG) Conference hosted by OCNI

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In this webinar recap, join Bruce Burwell as he presents at the Ontario Power Generation (OPG) Conference hosted by OCNI on Industrial Integrated Project Delivery (I2PD).

I2PD is defined as the balancing of nine principles to promote team collaboration and integration of work processes and systems.

COMMERCIAL IPD -Collaboration Principles

1.Continuous Communication and Issue Resolution Process

2.Jointly Developed and Validated Targets

3.Access to Shared Information Systems

4.Early Involvement of Stakeholders

5.Collaborative and Equitable Decision Making

ALLIANCING – Integration Principles

6.Financial Transparency among Key Participants

7.Shared Risk and Reward

8.Relational Contracting, Multi-party Agreement

9.Negotiated Risk Distribution

To learn more please contact us and review the presentation below:
PTAG at OPG OCNI Conference presenting I2PD-a-Means-to-Plan-and-Execute-Capital-ProjectsDownload

PTAG Presentation for OPG on Force Majeure Management at the OCNI Conference

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PTAG’s Managing Director, Michael Dubreuil, presented today on Force Majeure Management – During COVID-19 Pandemic Recovery at the OCNI Virtual Conference for Ontario Power Generation (OPG).

Please below a direct PDF download of Michael’s presentation:
[PDF] Presentation Recap – OCNI-OPG-Seminar-Force-Majeure-Management-–-During-Covid-19-Pandemic-Recovery-August-2020Download

The New Normal requires “new ways” of operating that requires all parties; Owners, Consultants, Contractors, Engineers, and Equipment Suppliers to find new and innovative ways of optimizing cost and schedule to mitigate the impact of COVID-19 and work towards a sustainable recovery.

Excusing a party from its contractual obligations for a force majeure event is the exception. “Contract liability is strict liability. It is an accepted maxim that pacta sunt servanda, contracts are to be kept.

This discussion explores three fundamental methods to help ensure that as projects resume – the threats to safety, quality schedule and cost are minimized and opportunities for improvements in each of these core areas are explored and realized.

These methods are:

  • Transparent Communications
  • Collaboration and Integration
  • Rigorous Change Management

Using industry research and experience, we outline how these methods build trust to develop the ideas to mitigate the impact of COVID-19 Force Majeure events.

Please below a direct PDF download of Michael’s presentation:
[PDF] Presentation Recap – OCNI-OPG-Seminar-Force-Majeure-Management-–-During-Covid-19-Pandemic-Recovery-August-2020Download

Improvement Program to 900 MW Generation Station to an effective MOL/CSA Z460 Lockout Compliant Construction Site

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Overview 

Company – Energy company 

Industry – Electrical Generation 

Category – Construction 

Project Budget – $1.2B 

Goal – As part of a Commissioning Recovery Plan on an active construction site implemented Lockout Program to meet MOL/CSA Z460 compliance. 

Obstacles – Large Construction Site, Numerous Contractors, up to 1800 employee’s, need to develop, implement, ad administer revised program before Commissioning starts and while construction continues. 

Solutions – PTAG Subject Matter Experts assessed and developed compliant processes, procedures, and implemented supporting software. Additional staff assigned for administration and transition into commissioning support. 

Results – Seamless transition to an effective MOL/CSA Z460 compliant program. All work programs completed with no orders to comply and no lost time. 

Goals 

Transition to an effective MOL/CSA Z460 Compliant Program 

To maintain a safe workplace and to ensure continued operation without work stoppage or orders to comply, the 900 MW Generating Station site needed to transition from its non-compliant  lockout/tagout program to a Ministry of Labour (MOL) and Canadian Safety Association (CSA) Z460 compliant program. 

Successfully transitioning to the program required revision to existing Client processes and procedures. Tailored to the specific requirements of the work site, the solution once implemented was able to effectively manage all aspects of the sites commissioning needs while ensuring the safety of over 1800 staff. 

Obstacles 

Management of Change to Achieve Compliance 

Challenges to meeting the goals of the project: 

  • Large construction site, with complex work processes, multiple contractors 
  • Commissioning was starting while the plant was still under construction 
  • Revised processes and procedures required to achieve compliance would require a culture change across the site 
  • Workers at site required training and ongoing awareness of the program requirements 
  • The LOTO program was monitored and actively to ensure adherence

Solution 

PTAG’s Team of On-Site Subject Matter Experts Delivered and Implemented the Program 

PTAG’s Team was engaged on the project in May 2017 to provide a complete assessment of the existing program to determine gaps and the steps that would need to be taken to achieve a compliant program, and developed a plan for how to make it work on the specific site. 

The Team developed and implemented the processes and procedure changes required to ensure compliance with Z460 standards and worked with on-site client and construction contractor personnel to ensure training, adoption, and ongoing adherence to the program. 

The needs assessment determined that one key to success would be implementing a tailored software system to automate and manage the Master Equipment List (MEL) with a consistent, standardized nomenclature, printed Danger Tags and supporting Lockout Clearance forms so that the workers could ensure Equipment lock-out accuracy and status was effectively tracked during work execution. 

A monitoring and reporting system on level of compliance was implemented to ensure seamless transition to Operations post-project. 

PTAG PROCESS 

SMEs Delivered, Implemented, Administered and Monitored the Program 

  1. Review and Assess 
  2. Report Results 
  3. Develop Program and Training 
  4. Implement and Administer 
  5. Monitor for Results 
  6. Transition for Ongoing Support 

PROCESS RESULT 

SMEs Delivered and Implemented the Program 

PTAG’s TEAM of seven SMEs delivered the expertise and the process models and implemented a compliant program designed to meet the needs of the MOL/CSA-Z460-13 Standard.  The Program was tailored to work within site constraints and implemented successfully with the personnel on site. 

RESULTS SUCCESS 

  • Seamless transition to an effective MOL/CSA Z460 Compliant Program 
  • No Lost Time Accidents 
  • No Orders to Comply – a huge achievement for Hazardous Energy LOTO programs 
  • Software system turned over to Operations at project completion will ensure long-term adherence and success 

ACHIEVEMENTS 

“Any chance we can get you to go to some other sites?” 

MOL INSPECTORS

PTAG provides leading firms in the Power, Oil & Gas, Petrochemical, Mining, and Capital Infrastructure markets with qualified People, efficient Business Processes, and Information Management Systems that ensure consistently successful delivery and efficient operation of major capital projects. 

PTAG – Craft – Lock Out Tag Out Improvement – Case StudyDownload

Webinar Recap – I2PD, a delivery model for quickly planning and executing capital projects

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Listen in to this video recap, as PTAG principals Bruce Burwell and Michael Dubreuil deliver a brief online seminar to learn about Integrated Industrial Project Delivery (I2PD).

With the advent of COVID-19, and resulting government stimulus, I2PD is a good candidate for quickly planning and executing capital projects as government and industry relaunch the global economy.

PTAG will be providing a short but thorough look at this new Project Delivery Model from the Construction Industry Institute (CII).

Interested in downloading the slide deck? Click here for Direct Download.

Originally recorded: August 11th, 2020

Get to know our speakers:

Advanced Work Packaging

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Advanced Work Packaging is the process of defining project scope into manageable work packages early in the project lifecycle to ensure efficient execution of the project.

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