A daily activity briefing (DAB) is a short, on-site meeting conducted at the start of the workday, led by the site manager. Every project will have its own DAB format, but the following may be included.
- A greeting, making sure everyone is paying attention.
- A comment on the weather forecast if it is relevant to the day's scheduled work.
- A summary of the project status.
- A list of activities that are planned for that day for each contractor.
- Clarification of any work dependencies (e.g. task D cannot start until task C is complete) so that the relevant contractors can coordinate their work schedules.
- Information on material deliveries due on-site.
- Relevant safety information.
- If people have questions, they should be encouraged to ask them, either during or after the meetings.
- The meeting should be concluded by thanking people for their attention.
DAB Example
The following video provides an example of a DAB.
Click on this link to access the script for the video.
A toolbox talk is an on-site meeting that is focused specifically on safety. This will be held in addition to the daily activity briefing, although it is unlikely to occur every day. It may be that a toolbox talk is carried out once a week, or only when a new hazard is introduced to the site.
Watch
This video describes the function of toolbox talks and provides 5 tips for how to effectively present a safety message.
Video Title: How to Present a Toolbox Talk | Top 5 Tips for H&S Professionals When Presenting a Safety Message
Watch Time: Start playback at 46 seconds, End playback at 6:41 | 5:55 Minutes
Post-Watch Activity
You are required to record yourself role-playing the delivery of a short toolbox talk. Consider the tips provided in the video when doing your talk.
- Select a safety topic that can be covered with a 2-minute talk, such as sun protection, fitting a helmet or the importance of staying hydrated.
- Prepare by researching your topic and make notes on what information you want to present. Remember to keep the message simple.
- Record yourself delivering the talk using your phone or similar device. Pretend you are delivering the talk to your colleagues and try to engage them with the safety message.
- Email your completed talk to your tutor for feedback.
Tip
You will be recording yourself delivering a Daily Activity Briefing as part of the assessment for this module. If you are unable to create videos using your phone or similar device, discuss this with your tutor before starting the assessment.
Daily Progress Reports
Daily progress reports should be completed by the site supervisor at the end of each workday. This document details:
- The personnel who were on-site and their roles.
- Work performed and milestones achieved.
- Materials and equipment delivered and used.
- Details of any accidents or safety incidents.
- Issues encountered with the project.
- Plans for the next workday.
The information in the daily progress report can be used to update the task list, allowing project progress to the monitored. This report is used internally by people such as the project manager, meaning that the document does not have to be overly formal. However, the content of the report needs to be accurate, so it can be used to identify issues within the project.
Monitoring the progress of stakeholders daily means that issues with underperformance can be identified and addressed straight away. Underperforming stakeholders should be then contacted promptly so that problems can be addressed.
Activity
Click on the link to access an example of a daily progress report. Review the layout and contents of the report.
Using this report as a guide, write a daily progress report based on the information below, assuming you are the site supervisor. Use a word processing program and organise the content using headings. Use today’s date for the report date.
Willow Street Project
The Willow Street project is located at 31 Willow Street, Tauranga 3110. There was light rain today and the temperature was 18o. Along with yourself, there were four members of the framing crew and three labourers on site today.
The following work was completed today:
- Completed erection of exterior wall frames.
- Installation of structural supports in exterior framing.
- Installed bracing for all exterior walls.
- Started marking locations for interior wall framing.
The plan for the next day is to commence interior wall framing.
200 linear metres of treated pine timber and 10 boxes of 1000 nails, 50 brackets were delivered to the site today. The following materials and equipment were used on this day.
- Timber: 180 linear meters used for exterior framing
- Nails/Brackets: 8 boxes of 1000 nails, 40 brackets
- Nail Guns: 4
- Circular Saws: 3
- Ladders/Scaffolding: 5
No safety incidents were reported. The safety briefing conducted at 7:30 AM was a reminder about keeping a tidy work site. The only issue identified for the day was a slight delay in timber delivery by 1 hour in the morning. The work schedule was reorganised to focus on bracing installation while waiting for the timber delivery.
Click on the link to access a model answer for the Willow Street Daily Progress Report.
Summary Progress Reports
Daily progress reports provide a snapshot of a single day on site. They are used to track daily progress and material use and rapidly identify issues and delays. A summary report should be produced on a set schedule, such as fortnightly or monthly. These reports summarise progress over the preceding period. They tend to include:
- A summary of the work completed, and milestones achieved during the reporting period.
- A summary of work planned for the next reporting period.
- A schedule showing the dates that milestones were reached or expected to be reached.
- A budget status update.
- Issues identified during the reporting period and how they have been addressed.
- Any health and safety concerns identified.
This report assesses the health of the project and helps with strategic planning. For example, the project manager may need to allocate more time or resources to a portion of the project. This may require consultation with the client, managers, and finance providers.
The report will potentially be read by a range of stakeholders, meaning that explanations of progress must be understandable by laypeople. These reports tend to be more formal than the daily reports. They may contain an executive summary and a conclusion paragraph.
Reading
Click on the link to access an example of a summary progress report. The following provides and explanation of some of the sections.
- The summary provides a brief overview of the status of the project. Some stakeholders may only read the summary so this is an important section.
- The schedule shows the planned completion date for the current tasks. This information would be supplied by the project manager. The actual date shows the date at which the project milestone was actually completed. This data will be used by the project manager to track actual against predicted progress and identify delays.
- The budget status shows the budgeted amount for each category of construction work and the amount actually spent to date.
- The variance (difference between the two figures) is calculated by subtracting the amount spent from the total budgeted.
- This number will be positive if the project is currently under budget and negative if the project is over budget. This allows overspends to be identified.
- Where a task is incomplete it can be labelled as “On budget” or “Exceeding budget”.
- The contract information is included so that external stakeholders who read the report can contact the author if they need clarification.
Activity
Click on the link to access a Word document to allow you to complete the summary progress report. You will be entering data into the table cells. Create the report using the data provided below.
- This report relates to the Willow Street project used in the previous activity. Copy the address into the document.
- Add today’s date and use the previous two weeks for the reporting period. Add your own name as the report author.
- Create a summary based on the information provided.
- The following work was undertaken during this period:
- Completed all foundations.
- Installed structural supports and bracing for all exterior walls.
- Erected and completed all exterior wall frames.
- Marked and started installing interior wall frames.
- Completed framing for bedrooms and living room.
- The work planned for the next reporting period includes completing interior wall framing and beginning roof truss installation. The plumbing rough-in will also begin in the next project period.
- Complete the Schedule table by adding some suitable dates.
- Complete the budget status table by calculating the variances.
- The following issues were identified:
- the delay in timber delivery mentioned in the previous task.
- Rain delayed the pouring of concrete resulting in the foundations being completed one day later than scheduled. This did not impact the overall project schedule.
- Health and safety: There were no accidents or incidents reported.
- Add your own name and contact information.
Click on the link to access a model answer for the Willow Street Summary Progress Report.
Tip
You will be creating progress reports as part of Assessment Task 01A2. This will involve the use of a range of Word documents. If you encounter any difficulties, discuss them with your tutor.
WorkSafe is the regulator overseeing health and safety in the New Zealand workplace. They provide health and safety guidance to employers and workers, with the aim of preventing harm in the workplace.
They also perform workplace safety inspections, investigate workplace accidents and take enforcement actions when required.
WorkSafe and Staff Engagement
The Health and Safety at Work Act specifies that employers must, as far as possible, engage with workers to get their feedback on health and safety issues in the workplace (Ref: Health and Safety at Work Act 2015).
Reflection
Read the following WorkSafe information about worker engagement and participation.
Using what you have learnt in this module, reflect on what communication and collaboration methods could be used to engage with staff on health and safety issues.
This activity encourages you to consolidate your knowledge on Topics 1.4 to 1.8.
Assessment 01A2
It is now time to complete Assessment 01A2.
If you have yet to submit Assessment 01A1, make sure you submit both assessments.
Once the two assessments have been submitted, you will have finished Module 1 of the New Zealand Diploma in Construction. Mahi tika ana – well done.
