Building a Culture of Quality in Construction: How Safety Approaches Can Transform Quality

The UK construction industry faces persistent quality issues that compromise safety, inflate costs, and erode trust. Despite universal pursuit of excellence, high rates of rework and defects cost billions annually and fail to deliver value to clients. Investigations such as the Grenfell Inquiry, various cladding inquiries, and numerous reports highlight systemic failures and devastating consequences of poor quality control. These incidents serve as stark reminders of what's at stake when quality is neglected.

Reforms like those from the Building Safety Regulator show promise but cannot fully address deeper cultural and systemic challenges.

The industry's transformation of safety practices over the past two decades offers a valuable blueprint. Focused leadership, robust programs, and cultural shifts have drastically reduced injury and fatality rates. Safety plans, risk registers, toolbox talks, and continuous training have embedded a safety-first mindset on worksites. By applying similar strategies, the industry can build a culture of quality that delivers safer, more reliable, and higher-value projects.

Learning from Safety: Quality as a Shared Responsibility

Shared responsibility is the cornerstone of a robust quality culture. Unfortunately, the construction industry often operates with a "pass-the-blame" mindset, shifting responsibility down the chain and leaving subcontractors vulnerable to quality failures. This blame culture hinders collective ownership and improvement. Transforming this mentality requires prioritising quality as rigorously as safety. Every stakeholder - clients, designers, builders, subcontractors, and suppliers - must champion quality. A holistic approach that integrates quality management into every project stage is key to this transformation.

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Strategies and Practical Steps for Improving Quality

Take a proactive approach to documentation and reporting

A key lesson from safety improvements is the power of standardised documentation and reporting. For project managers tasked with identifying and addressing deficiencies, clear processes are essential to initiate corrective actions and prevent rework. What does this look like?

1. Standardised Reporting Templates

   Create industry-standard templates that capture essential details: the nature of the deficiency, location, responsible parties, and required corrective actions. Currently, there's no consistency in quality documentation (e.g., ITPs). Consistency ensures clarity and accountability.

2. Real-Time Digital Tools

   Use construction management software to log deficiencies, upload photos, and tag stakeholders. These tools facilitate transparency, allowing teams to address issues promptly and collaboratively.

3. Detailed Deficiency Reports

   Include specific descriptions of deviations, supporting evidence (annotated photos or drawings), and references to contract documents, standards, or specifications. Comprehensive reporting reduces ambiguity and streamlines corrections.

4. Prioritisation of Issues

   Categorise deficiencies by severity and potential impact. High-risk issues that compromise safety or compliance should take precedence. Prioritisation helps allocate resources effectively.

5. Clear Communication Channels

   Establish protocols for sharing deficiency reports with stakeholders, ensuring issues are addressed constructively. Regular follow-ups prevent delays in corrective actions.

6. Regular Quality Walks

   Similar to safety inspections, these on-site evaluations identify potential issues in real time. Use digital tools to create time-stamped records for post-project analysis and continuous improvement.

Implement data-driven bidder selection

Clients and builders should use data-driven frameworks to evaluate partners' quality performance by:

• Benchmarking historical project data to assess contractors' ability to deliver high-quality projects on time and within budget
• Establishing clear quality benchmarks during tendering to ensure subcontractors meet rigorous standards
• Prioritising contractors and suppliers with proven quality excellence records

This approach ensures quality performance directly influences project awards, incentivising contractors to uphold high standards.

Use a holistic approach to construction management

The international standard for integrated management systems (ISO 14001) recognises the interconnectedness of quality, safety, and environment. Neglecting quality during construction often leads to bigger issues later. For example, an unaddressed water leak results in mould growth - a direct safety hazard for building occupants.

This example shows how poor quality impacts both safety and the environment. By proactively addressing quality concerns, such as ensuring proper waterproofing, builders can avoid potential hazards and costly rework. This leads to better buildings, reduced environmental impact, and a more sustainable construction industry.

Consider creating a quality risk register

Just as safety relies on risk registers, quality risk registers can:

• Identify responsibility for specific tasks
• Link work to relevant British Standards, Building Regulations, and other UK-specific regulations
• Highlight potential failure points and mitigation measures

Digital formats ensure seamless information transfer across teams and enable real-time updates, enhancing accountability and efficiency.

Implement quality talks and walks

Toolbox talks - a cornerstone of safety - can adapt for quality. Before starting work, teams can discuss:

• The day's tasks and potential quality risks
• Mitigation strategies to achieve quality success

Similarly, quality walks - like safety walks - allow site managers to:

• Identify potential issues early
• Celebrate successes and recognise quality workmanship
• Capture time-stamped digital records to inform continuous improvement

Adopt industry-wide benchmarking

Industry-wide benchmarking systems enhance transparency and drive collective improvement. Peer comparisons -similar to sustainability assessments like BREEAM - can:

• Enable companies to measure performance against key quality indicators
• Encourage healthy competition and adoption of best practices
• Leverage tools like Procore's benchmarking metrics to revolutionise how the industry evaluates and manages quality

Transforming the Industry: A Call to Action

Transforming construction culture to prioritise quality alongside safety creates better structures and work environments. Embedding quality in every project phase benefits everyone: projects deliver on time and within budget, risks decrease, reputations improve, and construction professionals experience greater job satisfaction and pride.

While numerous investigations have highlighted quality control issues in UK construction, meaningful change requires a deeper cultural shift. By learning from the successful transformation of safety practices over the past twenty years, the industry can create a similar quality culture. This involves prioritising quality as rigorously as safety, embracing a holistic approach that integrates quality management across all project stages, and utilising data-driven tools and benchmarking systems to drive continuous improvement. This transformation will lead to better buildings, a more sustainable industry, and a more rewarding work environment for everyone involved.

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