Roofs and roof coverings
What does a construction site manager do in Poland, and what should you agree with them?
In Poland the construction site manager (kierownik budowy) organises and directs the work in accordance with the design, applicable rules and safety requirements. The job includes keeping site records and acting on problems as they arise. The final signature is only one part of it. Before work starts, agree how to contact each other, when inspections will take place and how changes will be reported. Give particular attention to work that will later be concealed. Statutory duties include formally taking over and securing the site and ensuring that required tasks, such as setting out the building by survey, are carried out. The manager’s involvement should reflect the design and the nature of the project throughout the build.
In this guide
What should the site manager do before work starts?
Agree a programme with the site manager and decide who will give notice when each stage is ready for inspection. Make sure everyone can access the drawings, product instructions and revisions issued by the designer. With several trades on site, coordinate handovers: otherwise, one crew may cover work that another person still needs to inspect.
Who coordinates site safety?
The manager organises safe working and coordinates measures to prevent hazards. They must act if conditions could endanger people or the structure; some situations require work to stop. Safety documents must reflect the actual site and its working conditions. A generic document cannot describe precautions for a particular job.
On roofs, consider access to height, edge protection and how components will be lifted and moved. Wind can catch a long steel sheet or sandwich panel and make it difficult to control. Hard hats alone do not address that risk. Choose the working method and equipment for the weight and dimensions of the components and the conditions during installation.
What should be checked before the roof layers are covered?
Before laying the covering, check that the supports and connections match the design. Then inspect the underlay, seals around penetrations and continuity of any ventilation paths specified for the roof. With PIR insulation, check the fit between boards, any gaps and how the joints are made. Having the correct product on site does not establish that the finished assembly works.
T18 and T35 trapezoidal steel sheets and tile-effect steel roofing also need suitable support spacings and fixings. A crew’s usual practice is no reason for the manager to approve a departure from the design. Refer proposed changes to the person qualified to assess them. Photographs taken before the work is covered will help identify what was actually installed.
What if the contractor proposes an alternative material?
Compare a proposed substitute against the properties required at the installation point. “PIR” or “trapezoidal steel sheet” alone tells you little about thickness, load capacity, facing, reaction to fire or permitted use. Submit the technical documentation for review before the material is fitted.
The site manager works with the designer and others involved in the project. An entry in the site log cannot authorise a structural change that requires a separate procedure. In the contractor’s agreement, require proposed substitutes to be submitted in advance. That avoids pressure to decide when the material has already been unloaded.
How does the site manager differ from the client’s supervising inspector?
The site manager directs the work. The client’s supervising inspector (inspektor nadzoru inwestorskiego) represents the client within the inspector’s statutory duties. Under Polish law, one person cannot hold both positions on the same project. The inspector is also distinct from the public building supervision authority. Use the titles consistently in contracts and discussions with contractors.
Appointing a site manager does not automatically make them responsible for checking all costs, invoices and commercial agreements on the client’s behalf. Agree any extra services expressly and make the division of responsibilities clear to the whole team. Otherwise a necessary check may be missed because everyone assumes someone else will do it.
What should be agreed before completion?
The manager prepares the required completion records and takes part in the steps prescribed by law. The client should receive the documents needed for the remaining formalities and for use of the building. Identify outstanding reports, tests and confirmations in good time. A final signature cannot replace inspections missed during construction.
For a roof, keep the product documents and installation and maintenance instructions. At handover check flashings, fixings and drainage, and make sure damage caused during the work has been put right. A manager who follows the project from preparation through completion can check decisions when the work is still accessible, instead of trying to reconstruct them at the end.