As an engineer, disaster is just around the corner and you have to constantly work to stay a step ahead.
There are going to be days where nothing seems to be going right. Those days usually start with one event that puts a bad feeling in your gut, it usually goes a little something like this. I wake up to get ready for work and check my work phone to see the day’s calendar events, meetings, and appointments. But I don’t see any of that, all I see is one notification, a missed call from my supervisor at 4:37AM. That is never good. What’s wrong now?
My mind races trying to think of everything I’ve been doing in the last couple of days, mentally running through a checklist of all my current tasks and duties to figure out if I’ve missed something. I put together a bunch of possible answers for possible questions he will have for me, and I redial. During the call he asks if I put together a certain document for the architect since we will be needing it today. My heart sinks when I realize that I had never sent the document over two weeks ago, I respond with a weak, “I cannot recall, can I check my e-mail once I am in the trailer?”
Our site Inspector of Record (IOR) is stubborn like a mule and would never allow work to progress without the approved documentation. He never compromises or allows for flexibility. Without the approved document by the Architect of Record (AOR), the IOR would never let us (The General Contractor) to proceed with work.
This usually isn’t a problem since we always have the necessary documents, but not today because of me. I get to the office and anxiously search my e-mail and computer files trying to find if I had ever sent over the documents to the AOR for approval. Why is this document so important you may ask? Can’t I just get later? Usually, the document isn’t that important and I can absolutely get it later. But today is a different case, because we have a crew of 30 framers on the job gearing up to work a full 8 hour day. However, without an approved submittal on the products they will be using and the drawings they will be following in the hands of the IOR they cannot do anything.
A Costly Disaster
To put things into perspective, let’s assume the average framer we had was a Journeyman. Each Journeyman costs the company about $70 per hour in total compensation (pay, health, union fees, pension, etc.). With 30 Journeyman and an 8 hour shift, we have a hefty $70 x 30 x 8 = $16,800.00 disaster waiting to happen.
How did I save this situation? Luckily for me our company has done a project with similar scope in the recent past with similar specifications. I pulled up those files, put it all together, and e-mailed it over to the AOR. I immediately called the AOR after sending my e-mail and explained to him the situation. The AOR was extremely understanding and helpful. He made sure to make the submittals his top priority and quickly go through and approve them. I printed all the necessary paperwork for the IOR and the crew got to work. DISASTER AVOIDED.
The moral of the story is that we all mess up. However, the important point is to take away a lesson from our mistakes. My takeaway lesson here was to always make sure to never wait on paperwork, to always check off my lists, and be constantly looking ahead in the schedule to keep the project progressing without any hiccups. I know this mistake would have most likely cost me my position if it did not play out as it did, so I am thankful for the way it turned out. There are going to be many days like this in your career as an engineer, but you should be alright, you know why? Because you are an engineer, you are TRAINED to be a creative problem solver. Use your engineering brain, set your house in order.
Have you read my previous post?
-E J
