HEALTH & SAFETY The Health & Safety at Work (Construction) regulations require that consultants continuously increase their consciousness of health and safety on construction sites. Working on a broad portfolio of projects, large and small, new-build and refurbishment, we are well placed to anticipate and ameliorate the health and safety challenges on our projects. We adopt a proactive and collaborative approach to first understand the challenges and then to develop intelligent and practical solutions that address hazards not only in the context of statutory compliance, but also to improve the overall health and safety regime and drive efficient delivery of the project. Safety Management Services Include:
- Project Supervisor Design Process – PSDP
- Risk assessments
- Advice in the development of a design specification for asbestos removal works
- Selecting asbestos removal contractors
- Monitoring of asbestos removal works
STATUTORY APPROVALS Understanding the various statutory requirements clients face on their projects is often critical to their successful and timely delivery. Whether the requirements are planning permission, fire safety certificates, disability access certificates, building control compliance, industrial emissions licenses, or foreshore licenses, we fully appreciate the statutory load our clients face and can advise and assist from an early stage in their projects. We are in a strong position to deal with these matters through fostering and maintaining strong working relationships with all statutory bodies including the Environmental Protection Agency, Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, and numerous Local Authorities over many years. Since our foundation we have both submitted and managed hundreds of successful applications to statutory bodies for a wide range of projects.
COST MANAGEMENT Cost is the fundamental and most significant consideration throughout the life cycle of a project. Hence, it is very important to manage cost from project inception right through to handover and beyond as lack of cost management leads to cost overrun on projects. We promote a value culture within Malone O’Regan which eases the path to delivering projects within budget. We adopt a multi-disciplinary team orientated and structured approach to value management to assess the benefits and viability of value opportunities from both capital and whole-life cost viewpoints. We have a very experienced team of in-house cost specialists with the ability to drive value on the most technically and operationally challenging projects.
Cost Management Services Include: • Impartial Procurement Advice • Cost Estimates and Capital Expenditure Budgets • Value Management • Risk Management • Cost Control • Change Management • Cash Flow Programmes • Certification of Interim Payments • Assessment and Determination of Claims • Final Account Resolution
Order of magnitude cost estimates are produced for the rapid evaluation of commercial possibilities and economic viability of projects. Since little detail will be normally available the estimate will usually be based on data from similar previous projects updated for time, location, changes in market conditions, current design requirements and relative capacity. Budget estimates are produced once the conceptual design has been completed. Definitive budget estimates are prepared and updated as the design develops, and site constraints are resolved. Having aligned the budget with the brief at the outset, taking account of the project brief and restrictions etc. our impartial advice focuses on Client needs and keeps you appraised of market trends. We take ownership of tender document review and confirm if further information is required or if information is at the correct level for tendering purposes. We provide strong cost management and employ strict change control procedures through all stages to Final Account agreement.
EXPERT WITNESS Malone O’Regan have experience of acting as Expert Witness in Oral Hearings, Conciliation and Arbitration proceedings and in the High Court. We assist the legal profession on:
- project delay related disputes;
- payment disputes;
- disputes arising out of project cost overruns;
- disputes over non-conformance with specification and quality of workmanship;
- disputes relating to non-compliance with statutory approvals, codes of practice and regulations.
PEER REVIEW As experienced engineering and environmental services consultants, we understand how peer reviews can be beneficial to everybody involved on a project by ensuring that there are no errors in the design and that all regulatory and code requirements have been considered. Our in-house team perform independent project evaluations for quality assurance, risk management, constructability, cost, value engineering or code compliance. Communication and collaboration are critical to our understanding of the design challenge. Once we have established the review criteria, we provide effective peer reviews through independent analysis and the adoption of a non-combative approach. We always stay focused on the most critical elements of the design and constructively communicate any concerns, questions or discrepancies to the Design Engineer.
BUILDING CONDITION ASSESSMENT FOR PYRITE DAMAGE Pyrite (FES2 – iron sulphide) is a very common, naturally occurring mineral. Traces of it are naturally found in the sedimentary rock that is used to make crushed stone for backfill used in construction. If the amount of pyrite in the stone is below a certain proportion, no problems occur. However, construction material containing relatively large amounts of pyrite minerals are likely to expand, crack and/or crumble over time. This occurs when air and moisture react with the pyrite causing the aggregate to expand. Typical symptoms include:
- Cracking of concrete floors
- Lifting / hogging of concrete floor slabs
- Level differences across concrete floors
- Cracking, buckling and/or lifting of elements resting on concrete floors e.g. partitions, skirting boards
- Lifting of first floor joists
- Lateral movement of external walls
- Lifting of ceiling joists
- Doors starting to jam as the floor rises under them
If you are concerned about the presence of Pyrite in your property, we can undertake the required structural survey inspection and provide you with a fully detailed written report.
PRE-DEVELOPMENT CONDITION SURVEYS Pre-Development condition surveys are undertaken to provide owners of a property adjacent to a development or for the developer who intends to carry out works adjacent to existing buildings with accurate records of existing building condition and building defects. Such surveys minimise the risk of disputes should new defects manifest themselves in the adjacent properties both during and after the construction of the development.