Larger projects will typically involve a more varied skills requirement as well as higher expertise levels. The more money is involved in a project the more important it becomes to manage the construction process efficiently. Ussually a project will be managed by a General Contractor or building company which will coordinate the overall efforts of multiple suppliers and liais with the client. This general contractor would make use of subcontractors such as electrical contractors or mechanical contractors to handle various specialist aspects of the project.
It is important to choose a general contractor who has both a great reputation with their clients as well as the sub-contractors. When choosing a company to head up your construction project ask them to give details on similar projects that they may have done before. For example if they have worked primarily with retail fit-outs then they might not be ideal to head up a factory instillation.
Find out how the general contractor sources their sub-contractors. For example: do they only use certified electrical contractors from your region? Have they worked with a specific contractor on any other projects? Broadly speaking a general contractor would be responsible to managing sub contractors as well as negotiating terms with them regarding work practice and safety procedures.
All workers involved in a construction project will be subject to health and safety regulations in your region. Overall safety and health concerns would best be insured by the main building company or contractor such as protection from slips and falls, adequate protective barriers, air quality management where appropriate. Where a specific hazard falls into a specialist realm then added protection need to be ensured. For example where the potential for electric shock exists then it would be best if the electrical contractor was insured or adhered to national standards such as the Electrical Contractors Safety Association (ECSA) in Ireland or the National Inspection Council for Electrical Installation Contracting (NICEIC) in the UK. Read more...