Getting to the Jobsite

After morning quarters, crews should be able to get on a crew truck and depart for the project site with no further delay. Crews should not return to the barracks or the galley after quarters. Any tools or materials to be used up that morning should be drawn and loaded on to the crew truck before quarters. Turning in 1250-1s for materials and tools several days in advance will greatly reduce the time spent drawing them from MLO/CTR. Tools requiring safety checks should be dropped off the afternoon before and picked up in the morning. The hours of operation for MLO, CTR, and the other outlets should be addressed prior to deployment. It is very common to see MLO and CTR open an hour before quarters.

Breaks

The frequency and duration of breaks are determined by the crew leader based on how strenuous the work is, the temperature, and other climatic factors. The crew should understand the daily break routine. Watch for people anticipating breaks, standing around 5 minutes before the break is scheduled, or waiting for the crew leader to announce it. You want the crew working until they are told to break. This can be a particular problem near lunchtime and the end of the workday. Similarly, the crew must be back "swinging hammers" immediately after the break concludes.

Paydays

There are usually several options on locations and times for cashing paychecks. Find the shortest lines. Remember you are trying to minimize time lost. A common scenario is to knock off 2 hours early on paydays to get checks cashed and make an exchange run. If this tactic is used, be sure your crew does not abuse it.

Medical/Dental

Try to schedule appointments for routine treatment/examinations first thing in the morning or at the end of the workday. If several members of your crew need to be seen for dental recall, try to get them scheduled together. Getting a group back to the jobsite will be easier than getting them back separately. Coordinate a transportation plan with other crews working in the same general location to get crew members left in camp back out to the jobsite.

PROJECT MONITORING

The techniques used to evaluate the status of a project and compare the actual progress to the scheduled progress is referred to as project monitoring. To monitor a project's progress, crew leaders must master completing timecards, submitting SITREP input, figuring work in place (WIP), updating barcharts, and arranging project photos. This section of the chapter will explain the techniques used to monitor a construction project.

TIMECARDS T

imecards are the most accurate way to record man-days being expended on a construction project. Timecards allow you to monitor the efficiency and accountability of your crew. It is imperative that timecards be filled out correctly since they are the basis of your SITREP input. Timecards are also the basis for historical data on the project, availability factors, P-405 estimates, and such. Daily Labor Distribution, COMTHIRDNCB-GEN 5300/1, is the form used when recording man-days expended.

Crew Leaders

Crew leaders must prepare timecards each day that reflect man-days expended by all personnel assigned to them. Subcontractor crew leaders must use a timesheet (fig. 2-24) in lieu of the standard timecard. An additional copy of this timesheet can be made with a sheet of carbon paper, but in all other ways it is identical to the standard timecard. The sub crew leader must fill out the timesheet in duplicate while on the project. The timesheet reflects all subcontractor labor and is signed by both the prime and sub crew leaders. The prime keeps the copy and turns it in with the timecard for prime personnel. The sub turns in the original to the company timekeeper. This method allows the prime crew leader and the chain of command to monitor the effort being expended by the subs and the time being charged against the project. All labor should be recorded to the nearest half hour. Timecards must be maintained on file in the company office for the duration of the deployment.

Productive Labor

Productive labor is man-days expended that directly contribute to the accomplishment of the battalion mission. This includes construction