Prevent Construction
Delays and Downtime

Delays in construction projects are all too common and can significantly eat into your project budget. They can also harm your company’s reputation as you need to complete work within the agreed timeline. This is exacerbated if those delays result from poor health and safety, not complying with regulations or miscommunicating with other stakeholders.

Fuel plays a significant role in the success of your project. To avoid any delays around fuel supply, ensure that you have a good refuelling system in place.

Causes of delay in construction projects

Disruption causes downtime, starting a chain reaction of delay and organisational headaches – as missed and late deliveries cause people and machines to stand idle. There are many reasons why delays on construction sites can occur:

• Budget constraints – sometimes, plans change, and you need more materials, involve more stakeholders, or costs have increased more than expected. This can drain your overall budget and mean you need to find more funds before continuing. 
• Poor planning – monitoring equipment usage, tracking progress and being wary of compliance within your working environment is key to efficient project management. However, letting any of these considerations slip can lead to delays as unexpected obstacles can occur. 
• Labour shortages – current skill shortages in the construction sector are making it harder for site managers to fulfil project requirements, adding to the pressure and slowing progress. 
• Sickness or injury – accidents can happen, and while you will take every precaution onsite to minimise these accidents, sometimes employees can still experience an injury or fall ill. 
• Miscommunication between stakeholders – a project involves several parties and if there’s a mix-up on who’s coming to the site and when, you may have to wait longer for deliveries or equipment set up.
• Weather issues – while the UK isn’t exactly known for warm and sunny weather, the forecast over the last few years has had a larger effect on projects.

Not all of these challenges are in your control, like severe weather or illness. But there are precautions you can take to minimise the effects of delay on construction projects. 

How to mitigate construction delays

Clamping down on cost and maximising efficiency is the secret to smoother operations. Taking control of your fuel is one of the simplest ways to reduce risk and overruns. Below are three ways to help minimise downtime and delays.

Plan ahead

Productivity is all about controlling costs and staying on schedule. Fuel is one of the biggest operating costs on a jobsite, and not having a ready supply in the right place at the right time can turn a profitable project into a loss-making one.

Ordering fuel in bulk means keeping a ready supply onsite at all times, extending your runtimes and keeping you up and running. You can refuel equipment and generators as quickly as possible, and keep track of how much fuel you’re using throughout your project.

Tanks like our TransCube Global offer complete flexibility, keeping your fuel safe and secure no matter where it’s stored onsite. They’re even stackable when empty, so you don’t need to worry about your tanks taking up space. The TransCube can refuel up to three pieces of equipment simultaneously for increased efficiency, saving you time and money in the long run.

Reducing traffic onsite

A safe site is a productive one, and fewer tanker movements on-site reduce risk. Construction sites are busy working environments, with workers, deliveries and equipment all moving around and taking up space. Accidents can occur as a result of these movements. Managing this traffic and reducing it where possible can help improve your site’s overall health and safety.

We’ve already mentioned that our fuel storage tanks are ideal for bulk storage, meaning less dependence on suppliers – and less downtime waiting for them to arrive. Our UL142 and DOT-approved compliant tanks are also bunded to prevent leaks and spills, minimising the risk of someone slipping on a fuel spill.

Monitoring fuel consumption

Letting your fuel run dry means wasting time and money restocking and refuelling. Ordering in bulk and monitoring your usage allows you to plan and ensure you always have enough fuel to stay up and running.

Our fuel tanks have a range of accessories that can help you track fuel consumption. When the fuel in your tank reaches a certain level, you’ll receive alerts so you know to order a delivery before you run out completely. If you’re still relying on deliveries or working in an off-the-grid location, we can also install GPS tracking so you always know where your fuel is and who has access.

You can read more about monitoring your fuel usage in our guide.

Refuel ready with Western Global

Fuel tanks like the TransCube give site supervisors total control and ensure workers are productive and motivated. This transportable, bunded fuel tank dispense safe, environmentally secure fuel. It’s used on construction sites all across the globe – and deployed to any situation where uninterrupted energy is vital to keep you productive, ready and running.

These tough units have four-way forklift pockets, corner brackets for craning, and a lockable equipment cabinet, meaning they can be dropped straight onto site, ready for action.