Artificial Surfaces
“ 106 I PC APRIL/MAY 2015
If possible, speak to members of the project team to ascertain how the project was run and any issues with interactions between the contractor and other parties on the project team
bulk of the work, if not all, would be subcontracted to generic and specialist sports contractors, through to companies that have in-house expertise, labour, plant and machinery.
When selecting a company, my advice would always be to minimise any risk to you as a client and, therefore, there are several things that you should look for, including:
- Financial and insurance stability - Design and operational experience
- Capacity to execute and manage the works safely
- Appropriate experience and references
Financial issues need to be thought through in terms of the size, type, status of the company, as there are real cash flow pressures on businesses these days, and that does not necessarily imply any negativity in a
business. You may need to take separate specialist advice on this.
In terms of site experience and references, it will be important to visit the site to inspect existing work and understand how the contract was executed and managed by the contractor. If possible, speak to members of the project team to ascertain how the project was run and any issues with interactions between the contractor and other parties on the project team. A positive relationship is important between all members.
It is also important to understand who does what and how each individual item of a contract will be executed. Over time, I have tended to work with contractors with in- house expertise, as I believe this has helped manage risk.
Membership of professional bodies can sometimes be a good indication, but it is important to check what this actually means. Sometimes, it can just be a badge for a contractor to display without any substance behind it and, more importantly, the badge is offered when a fee is paid.
As you procure the facility, you will meet individual members of the contracting team at interview and communicate in general via other means to allow you to build up a good picture of how the business is run. The sports construction governing body, SAPCA, have a list of contractors who are members and some of sport’s governing bodies have approved contractor lists as well. If a professional consultant is appointed to assist you, then they should have relevant in depth knowledge of the industry to guide you accordingly.
I have to say, fortunately, I have got myself in a situation where I am able to stipulate the site foreman who runs the job in many
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