What does a site supervisor do on a live school or public site?

The project manager plans the job. The site supervisor makes it happen on the ground, every day, from the first worker through the gate in the morning to the last one out when the site is locked and the fencing checked for the night.

On a live site, where students or the public are only a fence away, that role carries more weight than it does on an empty block.

The start of the day

A supervisor's day starts before the trades arrive. The site is checked, the fencing and hoarding are inspected, and the plan for the day is set.

Every worker signs in and has been inducted, so the supervisor knows who is on site, what each crew is doing and where. The checks required for workers on school and rail sites are set out in workforce screening and site inductions.

Plant and machinery movement

On a live site, the biggest risk is plant and people sharing space. Monument's controls for working around students and the public include secure perimeter hoarding and fencing, segregated pedestrian and vehicle access, and full-time site supervision spotting all plant and machinery movement.

No plant moves blind. An excavator, truck or forklift does not move near an occupied area without someone watching it. Asphalt resurfacing at Athelstane Public School in Arncliffe, for example, was carried out during term with students on site.

Trade coordination

A live site often has many trades working in a small space to short windows. The supervisor sequences them so they do not clash, and keeps each crew inside the work zone and away from the areas still in use.

Inspections as the work goes

Supervisors check work as it goes, before it is covered up. Inspections and hold points are recorded, so there is proof of what was built and when it was checked. The system behind that is described in how quality is assured during construction.

The daily record

Each day the supervisor records who was on site, what was done, the weather, deliveries, any incidents and any instructions received. Months later, if a question comes up about time or cost, that record is the evidence both sides rely on. More is in the site diary and daily records.

The face the client sees

For a school principal or a facility manager, the supervisor is the person they see every day. A question about tomorrow's delivery or next week's noisy job often starts with a word at the gate. The controls on every Monument site operate under its ISO 45001 certified safety management system.

Our capability