"The Problem of Women in Civil Engineering Not Doing Their Jobs" Erupts. The Reality on Construction Sites Is... (The God of Construction)
I’ve started seeing more women at construction sites, but… Lately, I’ve been seeing women on sites more often than before. Not only are there women working in construction management, but I also see many women working alongside the laborers on the job. For those of us in the construction industry, this is extremely valuable…
To all supervisors: How do you manage overloading? (The God of Construction)
Overloading Management: A Surprisingly Tricky Issue In the construction industry, the problem of overloading is an inseparable part of the business. Whether transporting construction materials or heavy machinery, managing overloading is extremely important, and inspections always include questions regarding overloading management. At transportation companies, delivery slips for materials and other items always include the weight, and transport…
[Field Report] One Year Since the Heavy Rains of July Reiwa 2: The Kuma River After the Flood—A Look at the Affected Areas Today (From the God of Construction)
I went to see the progress of restoration work on the Kuma River one year after the flooding. It has been one year since the “Reiwa 2 July Torrential Rains.” In the Kuma River basin, which suffered the most severe damage, restoration work on the river, roads, and other infrastructure is still underway. In January of this year, the Kuma River System Emergency Flood Control Measures Project was formulated, and moving forward, water flow…
What Qualifications Are Required for a Safety Manager? A Comprehensive Guide to Roles, Difficulty Level, Pass Rates, and More! (The God of Construction)
The Safety Manager certification is required for workplaces where occupational accidents are likely to occur and where there are 50 or more workers on a regular basis. Safety managers are responsible for ensuring that workers can perform their duties safely, but what other roles do they play? We’ll explain the difficulty level and pass rate for the Safety Manager certification. …
[Statement from the Japan Society of Civil Engineers] Presenting a Roadmap for Infrastructure Maintenance: Call for Reform Toward a New "Comprehensive Care"-Style Certification System and a Contract System That Incorporates Private-Sector Participation (The God of Construction)
On June 8, the Japan Society of Civil Engineers issued a statement outlining the challenges of infrastructure maintenance—a growing social issue due to aging infrastructure—and proposing measures to address them. The subtitle of the statement was “Infrastructure Maintenance: Essential for the Present and the Future—A Roadmap for Overcoming the Challenges We Face.” …
Another rookie site supervisor has quit… Was it really just a lack of grit? (The God of Construction)
Is it just a lack of grit that causes new hires to quit? With the arrival of new employees, our workplace has become more vibrant. It’s a source of immense joy to see the younger generation joining our industry. On the other hand, quite a few of them end up quitting early on. Seeing them, I think, “Grit…”
"The Lost Art of Terror": A riveter (the god of construction) who throws a 1,000°C lump of iron and catches it
Riveters: Rivets are used in the on-site joints of most bridges and steel piers in the first phase of construction of the Metropolitan Expressway. The workers who set these rivets are called “riveters.” With terms like “Work-Style Reform” and “i-Construction” being discussed…
Before the Tokyo Olympics in the Showa era, construction sites were home to “kashime-ya”—craftsmen whose work carried the risk of death (the gods of construction).
The Rivet Maker and “Tokyo Olympics Ondo” The second Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games will be held in 2021. The last Olympics were held in Showa 39 (1964). The song “Tokyo Olympics Ondo,” sung by the late Haruo Sanba, still lingers in the back of my mind. Let me think back…
"Rumors of a Rift" Between the Site Supervisor and the Craftsman (the "God of Construction")
Site Supervisors and Tradespeople Tend to Fall Out—How many times have I witnessed a site supervisor and a foreman arguing on a construction site? Site supervisors and tradespeople tend to fall out very easily on the job site. People in the industry probably think this is unavoidable given their respective positions. However, when it comes to construction management engineers and…