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Civil Engineering & Construction vocabulary · Site Work and Equipment

Foreman

Meaning in civil engineering & construction, with examples

/ˈfɔːrmən/nounCore term

In civil engineering & construction, foreman means: An experienced tradesperson who leads a team of workers on site, plans their daily tasks and makes sure the work is done properly and safely.

In Turkish: formen, ustabaşı, şef usta

How it is used

Each trade may have its own foreman: concrete foreman, steel fixing foreman, formwork foreman. Engineers pass instructions to the foreman, who organises the gang. Some companies prefer the neutral title supervisor.

Example sentences

  1. Tell the formwork foreman we need two more carpenters on level 5.

  2. The foreman stopped the work when he saw the cracked prop.

Common collocations

  • general foreman
  • concrete foreman
  • site foreman
  • report to the foreman
  • site engineerAn engineer based on the construction site who makes sure the work is built according to the drawings and specifications, checks quality and solves technical problems day to day.
  • construction siteThe area where a building, road or other structure is being built, including the work area, storage areas, site offices and access roads.
  • toolbox talkA short, informal safety meeting on site, usually at the start of a shift, about one specific hazard or task, such as lifting operations or hot weather.
  • subcontractorA company hired by the main contractor, not by the client, to do one part of the work, such as piling, steelwork, electrical installation or plastering.

More terms: Site Work and Equipment

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