What Are the Duties of a General Foreman?

What Are the Duties of a General Foreman?
Written By
RM
Rob Mead
May 12, 2010
2 minute read

Every large construction site includes a wide array of workers responsible for building a structure's foundation, walls, ceilings and electrical infrastructure. Although construction sites feature various bosses that give orders to the construction workers, a general foreman is responsible for the safety conditions that all employees are exposed to on a daily basis, as well as other very important job duties.

Report Preperation

Since a major construction job involves insuring that the exact blueprints and requirements from the client are being followed at all times, it's up to the general foreman to prepare reports based on the progress of the work being completed, as well as obtaining work permits during the construction period. As the work permits are acquired, the general foreman makes note of when the permit was purchased and also takes the time cards from his employees and records how many hours each construction worker actually worked during the week.

Maintaining Quality Control

One of the main facets of a general foreman's overall job duties is to make sure that the quality of his crew's work is above average at all times. A general foreman inspects that the electrical wiring is being secured properly inside the building's piping structure, he also makes sure that the concrete foundation of the building is secure and that his workers are on schedule. Following the blueprints, the general foreman inspects the dimensions of his construction site and compares it to the blueprints to insure proper quality control of the construction as it progresses along.

Employee Regulations

To insure that safety regulations are being followed at all times and that inner fighting does not occur, a general foreman is responsible for resolving personal issues that arise among his workers while completing a construction job. When these problems do occur, the general foreman consults with the human resources department and discusses the proper procedures that need to be taken so that the situation does not get out of hand while the job is being completed.

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Planning the Work Details

As every construction job faces a deadline that must be adhered to, a general foreman works out the details that involve buying supplies at the proper time so that construction is not delayed. The general foreman must also verify that the crew has all the necessary tools to complete the job and that the day-to-day work schedule is being met on time as well. If other work crews arrive at the general foreman's construction site, he is responsible for making sure that the new crew does not slow down his worker's productivity at all.

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