A construction supervisor manages his crew of skilled and unskilled workers onsite at a construction site; they tend to have a history of being a construction worker themselves. Their core responsibility is to make sure work is efficient and to report to superintendents of the site.
A construction supervisor will plan and schedule work keeping a record of materials that have been used and progress notes for a project. Other areas they can be involved in include safety, costs and personnel. They should have a good understanding of union contracts and procedures; being able to read plans and blueprints.
A construction supervisor is required to have a license. A Licensed Construction Supervisor (CSL) will supervise people involved with construction, alteration, demolition, repair and removal.
Licenses are split into three categories:
Unrestricted License – With this you can supervise individuals involved in every activity mentioned earlier for any single or two-family dwelling, no matter its size, or any building that reaches up to 35,000 in cubic feet of enclosed space, any building that is for farm purposes and retaining walls that are no higher than 10 feet.
Restricted License – With this you can supervise individuals involved with the mentioned activities – but only for any single or two-family dwelling no matter its size.
Masonry Only License – With this license you may supervise individuals involved in the activities mentioned for chimneys, stairs, fireplaces, walls which can facilitate four feet or more of unbalanced fill, and other masonry structures which need a building permit.
If you want to become a licensed construction supervisor then you need a minimum of three years experience in the contract tender or design industry in the field in which you want to be licensed. A three year vocational qualification converts to one of the three years experience that is required.
Once the experience has been gained you then complete a test on a computer. If this is passed your license is then issued. The Safety Trained Supervisor (STS) certificate verifies that their first-line supervisors and managers are knowledgeable on health and safety. Some examples of safety tasks include: monitoring hazards on the job, ensuring compliance to regulations, safety training employees, correction safety problems and communicating with safety specialists. The STS is available in the US and has been accredited by the National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCAA.)
There are many stages of construction from the pre qualification questionnaire application right through to the completion of construction contracts. A construction supervisor should be knowledgeable about all stages.
