As the country is slowly loosening lockdowns and more construction sites are opening back up, it’s important to not get back into old habits and exercise caution if you’ve been away for a while. Pennsylvania, one of the first and few states to deem construction “non-essential” has begun allowing projects to continue again and have also released a guide for doing so safely.
In the Pennsylvania state government guide titled “Guidance for Businesses in the Construction Industry Permitted to Operate During the COVID-19 Disaster Emergency,” the group listed out several policies for contractors to follow on the jobsite. The Pennsylvania chapter of Associated Builders and Contractors also contributed to the guide via their Construction Safety Task Force.
While these are requirements for Pennsylvania and may not necessarily apply to your specific state or city, I thought they provided a good basis of information for those companies that are struggling to come up with policies to keep their employees protected and their jobs moving forward. Having an employee test positive for the coronavirus on one of your jobs can not only be a scary health situation for that person and others they come into contact with, but it can also shut down the jobsite and force a heavy sterilization of the entire site.
The guide breaks down requirements for several different categories: All Construction Activities, Residential Construction, Non-Residential or Commercial Construction, and Public Construction.
You can find the guide in its entirety by clicking or tapping here, but I want to highlight a few of the requirements that I found most widely applicable:
Require 6 feet of social distancing unless another safety protocol overrides it, such as during team lifts.
Provide hand washing stations at high traffic locations, like job trailer, entrances, break areas, etc.
Regularly clean and sanitize high traffic areas
Gatherings should be limited to no more than 10 people while also social distancing (may require multiple meetings of the same topics)
Use virtual meetings as much as possible
Stagger shifts as much as possible to reduce number of workers on site at a single time
Limit tool sharing and sanitize them when necessary (here’s a guide to safely cleaning tools)
Follow CDC guidelines to determine if employees should work and prohibit any employees from entering the jobsite that have any symptoms of COVID-19. Sick employees should be encouraged to stay home.
Limit visitors, supplier deliveries, and access to enclosed spaces as much as possible
Non-residential or Commercial Construction employee limitations: for projects 2,000SF or less, a maximum of 4 people on the jobsite at a time and 1 additional person for every 500SF above that.
Again, the governmental requirements in your particular part of the country may be more or less strict than this, but many of these tips could be implemented with just a small amount of effort and could prove to be a big help in the long term health of your project and community.
What are some of the safety precautions that your jobsites are requiring? Tell me in the comments below!
Shane is the creator of Construction Junkie and an active construction project manager. In his career, he has managed interior remodel projects, site development, construction safety, governmental project compliance, and facility maintenance. He has a strong passion for construction technology and safety, as well as sharing the knowledge or insights he has gained throughout his career.