Noisy Jobsites
By Myron Ferguson

On most construction sites there is a lot going on. There is a lot of noise.
What is noise? Noise is unwanted sound
Did you ever stop to visit a jobsite where the radio is blasting and you can’t help but notice the ground man struggling to hear a measurement shouted from up above on scaffolding. If these workers are hourly workers they may not even notice that this un-necessary noise is hurting production. Asking for measurements multiple times or worse yet cutting something to the wrong length is unproductive and can lead to wasted materials.
I was just at jobsite with a crew and we were eating lunch while the excavator was grading around the house. The noise was irritating to us but to the excavator the sound of the machine running is money in his pocket.
When I hang drywall with a crew we are all very active. There are screw guns running, routers cutting out boxes and doorways, instructions are being given and benches are being dragged around, all while measurements are being shouted out. That is all necessary noise, not necessarily wanted sound but necessary. We may have a radio on but usually save the radio for when we are taping and we can enjoy it more.
I have stated many times how I like to have control of the jobsite while the drywall work is being done. So many times we are the only ones working there. This does not mean that we can just run wild. If the GC shows up or other subs and even the building owners we always turn things down because most likely all the sounds we are generating will be considered noise to the visitors.
I guess that what I am trying to say about jobsite noise is that a lot of it can’t be avoided, but we all need to stop and think about our main reason for being there and that is to complete the tasks in a professional, productive, and safe manor.
I was at a class recently. It was a one day hands on construction clinic. We learned some great production tips and tricks. Most of us left at the end of the day thinking “Man I wish I had learned this years ago”. The instructor said something about when we become more productive we also often see improved quality and with improved quality we can often make more money. Maybe controlling jobsite noise where we can is a good step in the right direction just like learning a new tip or trick.