In each print issue of Construction magazine we give members a chance to have their say. In our May edition we asked how they overcame their biggest challenges during lockdown. Kathy Kissane, Eoin Waldron and Mary Catherine Greene share their thoughts.
Kathy Kissane, Chartered Civil Engineer, Iarnród Éireann Irish Rail, Dublin
As an essential service provider, we in Iarnród Éireann have been lucky to continue working through lockdown, with projects and maintenance works continuing in compliance with government COVID-19 guidelines. Not being able to see family and travel home to Kerry has been my biggest challenge of lockdown. Multiple daily phone calls and DIY projects are getting me through it.
Eoin Waldron, General Manger, Castle Modular, Galway
Like all companies in construction, we are effectively change managers. We manage various types of changes in our daily, weekly, and monthly worklife. Lockdown has caused big problems in terms of stalled manufacturing but we have managed to overcome this by changing again and focusing on the elements we can control. We have therefore been able to use the time to put our energy into our product development for our Volumetric Modular offering and improving our processes to push for our accreditation with NSAI, ISO 9001, ISO 45001 and ISO 14001.
Mary Catherine Greene, Program Manager, Glenveagh Properties Plc, Dublin
The biggest challenge during lockdown has been the travel restrictions that demanded working remotely. The inability to go to site at the drop of a hat has made it more difficult to manage projects but by using technology we have been able to stay connected with our teams on site, accurately record progress, problem solve and keep projects on track.
