There are several recent industry resources that have been developed to assist you in mitigating this new exposure by protecting your workers, your project and your community.
The construction industry continues to be impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Across the country, the state of construction work ranges from “business as usual” to “essential project work only”, all the way up to mandatory shutdowns, which can change day-to-day. The state of pending projects is fluid, as owners try to navigate the situation relative to their business demands. As a construction business owner, it may seem as if those project scopes have changed mid-project, without a change order and no response on your latest RFI.
Contractors now have a new concern - to mitigate COVID-19 exposures. As a contractor, you deal in risk every day. It’s what you do. There are several recent industry resources that have been developed to assist you in mitigating this new exposure by protecting your workers, your project and your community. Use these industry resources to take action today:
- The Construction Industry Safety Coalition (CISC) is a coalition of 25 trade associations that represent a broad sector of the construction industry, including commercial building, heavy industrial, home building, road repair, specialty trade and material suppliers. Their “COVID-19 Exposure Prevention, Preparedness, and Response Plan for Construction” is available in both English and Spanish in a simple format, and a contractor can build the individual program today. The plan provides a framework for contractors to prevent exposures, preventive measures for the jobsite, PPE use, safe work practices and procedures in the event a worker does become sick. The plan references current Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) guidelines and combines an industry standard perspective to apply them to the construction jobsite. The plan also includes a letter for essential employees traveling to construction sites, COVID-19 checklists and a COVID-19 focused toolbox talk.
- The Associated General Contractors of America (AGC) has an entire site dedicated to resources and information for contractors at agc.org/coronavirus. Resources include contract resources, risk management information and COVID-19 education.
- OSHA has issued an OSHA Alert - COVID-19 Guidance for the Construction Workforce that includes tips that can help reduce the risk of exposure.
The above is not an all-inclusive procedure for mitigating COVID-19. Should you need additional assistance, our professional staff in Nationwide Loss Control Services can provide the additional information and assistance, and discuss procedures to help keep your workplace protected, as per your request.
References
- Nationwide Loss Control Services
- Construction Industry Safety Coalition — buildingsafely.org.
- Construction Industry Safety Coalition — COVID-19
- Construction Industry Safety Coalition’s COVID-19 Exposure Prevention, Preparedness, and Response Plan for Construction — English version
- Construction Industry Safety Coalition’s COVID-19 Exposure Prevention, Preparedness, and Response Plan for Construction — Spanish version
- Associated General Contractors of America (AGC) — Coronavirus (COVID-19)
- OSHA: COVID-19 Guidance for the Construction Workforce
- OSHA: COVID-19 eTools
- CDC: Cleaning and Disinfection for Community Facilities
- CDC: Business and Workplaces: Plan, Prepare, and Respond