HAZARDOUS MATERIAL STORAGE

The safest practice concerning hazardous material is to draw only the amount of material that can be used that day. Storing hazardous materials on the jobsite requires the use of approved storage containers. These containers must be placed a minimum of 50 feet away from any ignition device or source. Plan for the delivery of proper storage equipment before having hazardous materials delivered to the jobsite. Since many hazardous materials require separate storage containers (as an example, corrosives and flammables cannot be stored together), consult your safety office

HAZARDOUS MATERIAL TURN-IN

Any excess material must be disposed of through an authorized hazardous material disposal facility. Proper labeling of hazardous materials is critical. Properly labeled, waste can be disposed of for a relatively low price. Unidentified material must first be analyzed, which is extremely expensive. Anytime you turn-in hazardous material, an MSDS must accompany the material and ensure the MSDS is ledgeable. This will save valuable time and expense and make the job easier for supply.

Avoid mixing unlike types of waste. Do not mix waste paint thinner in a waste oil drum. The Navy sells uncontaminated waste oil for a profit. If only minor amounts of any other substance are present in the waste oil, the Navy must pay high prices for analysis and disposal. The best method for disposal is properly labeling the materials and returning them, unmixed, to the supply department. Each container must be clearly labeled, preferably with the BM line item or other supply tracking documentation. It is always best to check with the battalion MLO staff or safety office for proper disposal procedures.

PLANNING AND ESTIMATING (P&E) Good construction planning and estimating procedures are essential for any Seabee. This section is intended to give crew leaders helpful information for planning, estimating, and scheduling construction projects. This material is designed to help you understand the concepts and principles and is NOT intended to be a reference or establish procedures.

There are Special Construction Battalion Training classes (SCBT) specifically for Steelworker P&E as well as C-1 Advanced P&E school (NEC 5915) for Seabees.

NOTE: There are various techniques for planting, estimating, and scheduling. The procedures described herein are suggested methods that have been proved with use and result in effective planning and estimating.

PLANNING

Planning is the process of determining requirements and devising and developing methods and actions for constructing a project. Good construction planning is a combination of many elements: the activity, material, equipment, and manpower estimates; project layout; project location; material delivery and storage; work schedules; quality control; special tools required; environmental protection; safety; and progress control. All of these elements depend upon each other. They must all be considered in any well-planned project. Proper planning saves time and effort, making the job easier for all concerned.

ESTIMATING

Estimating is the process of determining the amount and type of work to be performed and the quantities of material, equipment, and labor required. Lists of these quantities and types of work are called estimates.

Preliminary Estimates

Preliminary estimates are made from limited information, such as the general description of projects or preliminary plans and specifications having little or no detail. Preliminary estimates are prepared to establish costs for the budget and to program general manpower requirements.

Detailed Estimates

Detailed estimates are precise statements of quantities of material, equipment, and manpower required to construct a given project. Underestimating quantities can cause serious delays in construction and even result in unfinished projects. A detailed estimate must be accurate to the smallest detail to quantify requirements correctly.

Activity Estimates

An activity estimate is a listing of all the steps required to construct a given project, including specific descriptions as to the limits of each clearly definable quantity of work (activity). Activity quantities provide the basis for preparing the material, equipment, and manpower estimates. They are used to provide the basis for scheduling material deliveries, equipment, and manpower. Because activity estimates are used to prepare other estimates and schedules, errors in these estimates can multiply many times. Be careful in their preparation!

Material Estimates

A material estimate consists of a listing and description of the various materials and the quantities required to construct a given project. Information for preparing material estimates is obtained from the activity estimates, drawings, and specifications. A material estimate is sometimes referred to as a Bill of Material (BM) or a Material Takeoff (MTO) Sheet.

Equipment Estimates

Equipment estimates are listings of the various types of equipment, the amount of time, and the number of pieces of equipment required to construct a given project. Information, such as that obtained from activity estimates, drawings, specifications, and an inspection of the site, provides the basis for preparing the equipment estimates.

Manpower Estimates

The manpower estimate consists of a listing of the number of direct labor man-days required to complete the various activities of a specific project. These estimates will show only the man-days for each activity, or they can be in sufficient detail to list the number of man-days for each rating in each activity-Builder (BU), Construction Electrician (CE), Equipment Operator (EO), Steelworker (SW), and Utilitiesman (UT). Man-day estimates are used in determining the number of personnel and the ratings required on a deployment. They also provide the basis for scheduling manpower in relation to construction progress.

When the Seabee Planner's and Estimator's Handbook, NAVFAC P-405, is used, a man-day is a unit of work performed by one person in one 8-hour day or its equivalent. One man-day is equivalent to a 10-hour day when the Facilities Planning Guide, NAVFAC P-437, is used.

Battalions set their own schedules, as needed, to complete their assigned tasks. In general, the work schedule of the battalion is based on an average of 55 hours per man per week. The duration of the workday is 10 hours per day, which starts and ends at the jobsite. This includes 9 hours for direct labor and 1 hour for lunch.

Direct labor ("Timekeeping" as previously discussed) includes all labor expended directly on assigned construction tasks, either in the field or in the shop, that contributes directly to the completion of the end product. Direct labor must be reported separately for each assigned construction item. In addition to direct labor, the estimator must also consider overhead labor and indirect labor. Overhead labor is considered productive labor that does not contribute directly or indirectly to the product. It includes all labor that must be performed regardless of the assigned mission. Indirect labor includes labor required to support construction operations but does not, in itself, produce an end product.

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