Appropriate management systems ensure quality and safer structures. The purpose of this report is to evaluate Domhus UK Ltd, a manufacturer of high specification prefabricated houses, various aspects regarding its operations.
By analysing various construction management books, journals, and websites, the report discusses the company’s significant environmental aspects, suitable objectives, targets and environmental management programmes, and the relevant auditing arrangements for the integrated management system.
Company’s significant environmental aspects
The fact that the company manufactures most of its components in a controlled environment reduces the waste of materials and lessens environmental impacts on land and the society. The company can integrate wastes into the construction process rather than being lost on-site and discarded as landfill.
The materials, which are mostly organic, have low embodies energy compared to the materials mined from the earth’s crust (Birkeland 2008, p.104). The reuse of components serves to keep the environment clean with the organic materials, which contain fewer petrochemicals, enhancing a healthier environment especially concerning air pollution (Bragança 2007, p.105).
Since onsite construction is minimised, various forms of pollutants that might have been introduced into the environment are avoided. In this regard, health and safety are maintained while at the same time avoiding dirt, which could inconvenience local residents.
Furthermore, these practices ensure the protection of the habitats, waterways, and other natural features (Howarth & Watson 2009, p.35). The minimisation of the consumption of energy during the construction phase is also beneficial.
Suitable environmental programmes
The design process should involve a detailed assessment of the construction process to eliminate any problematic health and safety issues within the design (Lowton 1997, p.67). The organising and controlling of the work on site should ensure the observance of environmental safety.
By observing site-specific retrofitting, prefabricated buildings can considerably contribute to reduced land coverage resource flaws (Schaur 2005, p. 78). Furthermore, constructing prefabricated structures in combination with greenhouse aspects of heating, cooling, and ventilation can be beneficial. High concentrations of the interior environment contaminants can be minimised.
Adopting more sustainable principles in the materials and production systems will facilitate more environmentally friendly structures. The prefabricated houses can be designed to achieve high-energy efficiency and thus minimise the consumption of non-renewable resources and ensure appropriate management of the renewable and local resources (Mehta et al. 2008, p.32).
Such include the minimisation of the extensive use of air-conditioning. The buildings should be energy efficient and utilise energy from renewable sources by specifying recycled materials (Hawkes & Forster 2002, p. 197) Materials such as sandwich-structured composite are appropriate in thermal improvement, sound insulation, and air tightness.
The company should avoid the use of prefabrication materials that might have adverse effects on the environment. Concerning the external suppliers, the company should undertake consultations in seeking their input for a safer environment and undertake process of identifying, assessing, and controlling the impacts of its activities (Fryer et al. 2004, p. 81).
This relationship should deliver high quality products and services that are environmental friendly (Feld & Carper 1997, p. 103). It is appropriate to adopt a continuous improvement scheme that promotes health and safety and maintain an environmental management system that is relevant to environmental conservation (Chitkara, 1998, p. 93).
The company should educate and train its staff in matters of environmental preservation. Moreover, the company should comply with all the relevant legislation and regulations that relate to environmental health and safety and any other industry codes of practice in this regard.
This entails the improvement of all the aspects of design, manufacture, hire, installation, and service (Smith 1999, p.48). A regular review of the quality objectives and the management system through self-analysis, customer feedback, and third party verification is vital.
Auditing arrangements
Prefabrication requires significantly diverse capital requirements, logistic skills, and specialized labour. The capital costs include the costs of importing the prefabricated building segments or the costs of erecting an industrial plant to fabricate the building segments (Harris et al. 2006, p. 64). The logistics involve transporting large prefabricated building segments to the construction site.
The logistics become more complex with disperse construction sites, considerably large building segments, and poor road networks and transport systems. With poor planning, the complexity involved in prefabricated construction may cause increased costs that exceed the savings expected from reduced time, labour, and materials (Goodchild 2008, p. 82).
A company must cater for alternatives to address any disruptions in the supply of materials and fittings. It must also cater for unexpected problems during the construction process. Proper inspection measures will ensure that faults are avoided as the use of specialized components increases the maintenance costs and delays any remedial work due to difficulties associated with sourcing.
Financial allowance is essential for all residual risk items. The frequency of the auditing process should emphasise on the crucial sections of the company such as the production process (Hughes & Ferrett, 2011). A well-structured auditing programme in this regard will give a clear picture of the effectiveness of the production process.
Thus, the company can control the risks associated with defective products by making informed decisions. Regarding joint venture examinations, the auditing process should consider the unique issues regarding operation of the joint ventures.
Each party should be viewed independently. A proper auditing process should facilitated value management so that the company meets the client business needs in matters concerning time, cost, quality and risk constrains. It should also ensure sustainable construction in terms of social, economic, and environmental aspects (Kay et al. 1989, p.53).
Conclusion
Appropriate management systems facilitate the realization of a company’s objectives. Both its onsite and offsite operations should address environmental preservation in terms of pollution and energy conservation.
References
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Bragança, L. (2007). Portugal SB07 sustainable construction, materials and practices : challenge of the industry for the new millenium. Delft University Press: Amsterdam, Netherlands.
Chitkara, K. K. (1998). Construction project management: planning, scheduling and controlling.Tata McGraw-Hill Pub: New Delhi, India.
Feld, J., & Carper, K. L. (1997). Construction failure (2nd ed.). Wiley: New York.
Fryer, B. G., Fryer, M., Egbu, C. O., Ellis, R., & Gorse, C. A. (2004). The practice of construction management: people and business performance (4th ed.). Blackwell Pub: Oxford, U.K.
Goodchild, B. (2008). Homes, cities and neighbourhoods: planning and the residential landscapes of modern Britain. Aldershot, England: Ashgate.
Harris, F., McCaffer, R., & Fotwe, F. (2006). Modern construction management (6th ed.). Blackwell: Oxford.
Hawkes, D., & Forster, W. (2002). Energy efficient buildings: architecture, engineering, and environment. W.W. Norton & Co; New York.
Howarth, T., & Watson, P. (2009). Construction safety management. Wiley-Blackwell: Chichester, U.K.
Hughes, P., & Ferrett, E. (2011). Introduction to health and safety in construction: the handbook for the NEBOSH construction certificate (4th ed.). Routledge: London.
Kay, R. S., Searfoss, D. G., & Minter, F. C. (1989). Handbook of accounting and auditing (2nd ed.). Warren, Gorham & Lamont: Boston.
Lowton, R. M. (1997). Construction and the natural environment. Butterworth-Heinemann: Oxford.
Mehta, M., Scarborough, W., & Armpriest, D. (2008). Building construction: principles, materials, and systems. Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Pearson/Prentice Hall.
Schaur, C. (2005). Improvement of Buildings’ Structural Quality by New Technologies: Outcome of the Cooperative Activities : Final Report, September 2004. A. A. Balkema: London.
Smith, N. J. (1999). Managing risk in construction projects. Blackwell Science: Oxford.