QUALITY TOOL BOX MEETING (QTB)

QUALITY TOOL BOX MEETING (QTB)

Gide line how to get the best from it

Before you read think about this question!

If someone says to you I will sell you a system that is guaranteed to raise the quality of the construction in your project and will not take any time, what will you say?

PURPOSE - OBJECTIVE

The objective of this Document is to give you information on a system called Quality Tool Box Meeting (QTB) that will help you raise the quality of construction activities in your project smoothly and with simple steps. Enabling objectives QTB will save contractor money spent on corrections of non confirmative as well as time in milestones & construction schedule.

• What is QTB?
• What Does QTB consist of?
• When do we do it?
• How will it help the Quality?
• How it is different or unique QTB is?
• Relationship to Schedule Q?

What is QTB?

• It is a gathering lead by the QC inspector with the construction workers (one crew only).
• It is conducted in the work location.
• The objective to highlight one subject that effect the Quality of their work.
• With a period from 10 min – 15 min
• It will be done before the work starts (with that we can guarantee the reduction of the violations from the construction crew due to lack of knowledge).
• It will be conducted with the languages of the workers.

So it is a meeting with crew involved in the construction work to insure the understanding and compliance of the requirements of the project (applicable standards, sharing experienced knowledge, lesson learned and best practices) before the work start.

Who benefit from QTB?

• Quality personnel
• Construction crew
• Engineering staff
• Manufacturing agent

What Does QTB consist of or contains?

• Check list and SATIP for the specific activity.

QC inspector will talk with the construction crew about the SATIP & check list points for a specific activity and explain hold and witness point and how to use them & what kind of standard procedure should be followed.

• Update about standards requirements

New amendments standards and codes always shall be shared with construction crew.

• Log Book entries

Any violation which is entered in the log book previously shall be discussed with the construction crew in order to prevent the recurrence.

• Proactive Notification

Proactive notification created by either SAPID or contractor QC department shall be discussed prior to start that specific activity, as proactive always come up from personnel experience knowledge sharing.

• Internal NCRs

The non conformance reports which are previously issued may be brought to the attention of construction crew in order to educate them to be more alert prior to start the activity.

• Lessons Learned From Past Projects

A lesson learned is the best teacher to get knowledge from the previously completed projects and need to bring up to the crew attention prior to start the activity.

Can be obtained from contractor or Aramco

• Best Practices

Best Practices from the construction industries may be shared with construction crew in order to achieve best quality of the product or work.

• What Could Happen?

Go through some of the problems that could happen, prepare the work to deal with it.

• Why we have to do it?

The crew should be reminded that what could be happen if the work has been completed with wrong techniques or poor knowledge and results may be explained prior to start the work.

• Then followed up with Evaluation

A tool box meeting should be followed with questions which need to be asked from crew and evaluation should be performed to know the basic understanding about the quality requirements of that specific activity.

Then the ranking should come after evaluation and categorize them either

a. Pass

b. Need attention by foreman

c. Need more training and monitoring

This information should be part of the monthly quality reports.

When do we do it?

QTB should be conducted as follow:

1. Weekly intervals

Every week as a minimum one meeting by area.

2. New crew in site

To help them pickup the requirement fast.

3. Before new activity start

To reduce the possibility of violation by increasing the knowledge of the workers.

4. Reported Violation

And the good thing about it we can do More than one QTB meeting in a week

How does QTB help the Quality?

QTB helps as a tool for Preventing problem from happening or recurring by doing the following:

• Promotes Workers Construction Quality and Safety Awareness by:

1. Starting the quality from the workers (source of violation)
2. Update their information (Standards, work methods…)
3. Highlighting potential violation (what could happen, NCR, Logbook…)
4. Highlighting Low performers (using evaluation) and work with them to improve or reduce there impact

• Empower QC inspectors by:

1. Changing the image of the QC from a Policemen to technical support person
2. More power for the QC to identify Low performers workers and therefore give them also attention in a form of training.

How it is different or unique from others?

It is different and unique in the following points:

• QTB target the worker in his language
• Evaluation is done for the attendees categories:

1. Pass
2. Need mentoring from the foreman and the QC inspector
3. Need retraining (or remove)

• List of the recommendations (evaluations) to be sent to Construction Manager to take action on it.
• Provide incentive for the best quality crew in each area in a form of an awarded (a certificate etc) to encourage them to continue their work for understanding more about Quality.
• Part of the management quality report and construction six month management review.
• PMT & PID monitor and test this activity randomly

And it is part of ISO 9001:2000

Responsibility

1. QA/QC Manager and QC Supervisor

• To monitor the QTB
• Schedule the time for QTB Meeting
• Send the recommendation on the status of the workers that need training or monitoring to Construction Manager and there Management
• Make the Monthly report with the list of QTB and the ranking of the worker with the action taking to help improve the quality.

2. QC inspectors

• Make the QTB
• Conduct or coordinate the QTB Meeting
• Do the evaluations of the workers and send it to the QA/QC Manager and QC Supervisor (during the QTB meeting or after the meeting)

3. Forman

• Update the QA/QC Manager and QC Supervisor about the activity and new crews
• Verify all attend the QTB meeting
• Take action on training or monitoring the crew member that need improvement or if removal from job site.

4. Construction Manager

• Monitor the QTB
• Monitor the action taking to improve the performance of the worker
• Give awarded (a certificate etc) to encourage the workers (Optional)

5. Workers

• Attend
• Ask question
• Do the work right

After all of that have you thought about that question?

If someone says to you I will sell you a system that is guaranteed to improve the quality of the construction in you project and is cost effective & time saving.

What will you say?