Scheduling can be one of the biggest logistical headaches when it comes to running a construction crew. If you keep giving people overtime, that can take a serious chunk out of your budget, but if you don’t give people enough hours, they might go find someone who does. Two guys on your crew might not get along, but what if you need them on the same day?
On top of all this, you have safety to consider. Scheduling is both technical and intuitive, and unless you’re going to have us visit your worksite, there are a lot of issues that we’re not going to be able to help you with… but, we can give you a few tips on creating a schedule that emphasizes safety:
Seize On Sunny Days
When you have a nice sunny day, get your crew outdoors to do roofing and siding, this way you won’t wind up trying to get your project done on time by working in the rain and cold on rooftops and scaffoldings.
Give Out Overtime Sparingly
Nothing is more dangerous on a jobsite than an overworked employee who’s in a rush to get home. Some overtime here and there is a great way to put a few extra dollars in your crew members’ pockets, but overworked employees are bad news. Anymore than a few hours of overtime a week per employee is asking for trouble.
Do The Dangerous Work In The Morning
The safest time to do the more dangerous work tends to be in the morning, after everyone’s had their first cup of coffee, but before the post-lunch wind-down has begun. Spend the afternoons hanging up drywall, use the morning to bring out the spot welding team and the pneumatic drill while everyone is still sharp. This will also let you get this work done without rushing to finish it up before quitting time.
Work In Daylight
They call’em “nine-to-fives” for a reason. Trying to get work done before the sun has come up or after it’s gone down can be pretty dangerous. When possible, stick to a regular daytime schedule to make sure you don’t have to deal with limited visibility on the job.
The best thing you can do when it comes to scheduling is to give yourself some breathing room. With a couple extra laborers, you can stretch more hours across a bigger crew, so you don’t need to worry about overworking anyone. Some people like to work Saturdays, but if you take the whole weekend off, then you have your weekends free as your “just in case you’re needed” days. Keep your scheduling flexible and the job becomes that much easier.
