CORONAVIRUS - CONSTRUCTION - 07.05.2020

Protecting site workers from infection

Many construction sites have continued to operate during the lockdown. If you’re in this sector, what operational procedures should you be applying and how strict must you be in enforcing them?

National position

The Construction Leadership Council (CLC) has published Construction Sector - Site Operating Procedures, Protecting Your Workforce During Coronavirus (Covid-19) (see The next step ). The six-page guide gives simple pragmatic advice on the procedures to be followed. It’s based on Public Health England (PHE) guidelines.

Tip. This is a rapidly changing situation and the guidance is likely to be amended quite frequently as government strategy develops. Keep an eye out for the latest version of the document on the CLC website.

Note. Despite first being published at the end of March, at the time of publishing this article in May 2020 there have already been several versions of the document.

What’s the approach?

The guide gives advice on how to minimise the risk of spreading the virus, but it is not as strict as you might expect. PHE guidance for construction states “where it is not possible to follow the social distancing guidelines in full in relation to a particular activity, you should consider whether that activity needs to continue for the site to continue to operate, and, if so, take all the mitigating actions possible to reduce the risk of transmission” .

Tip 1. Put regular reminders in place to highlight the importance of adhering to the necessary control measures. For example, include the information in daily briefings.

Tip 2. Tighten cleaning routines to ensure communal areas and touch points, including door handles and taps, are cleaned more regularly.

What’s covered?

It covers: (1) travel to work; (2) driving plant etc. at work; (3) hand washing; (4) welfare facilities; (5)  work planning; (6) first aid; and (7) cleaning.

Tip. This is a reliable source of advice and is the sector’s interpretation of legislation and government advice. By following it you should be doing enough to comply with the law so it’s advisable to ensure that you meet this standard.

Travel

As described in the document, one of the areas to be considered is travel to and from your site.

Tip. Wherever possible, workers should travel alone between sites. If this is not an option, numbers per vehicle should be kept to a minimum and avoid mixing crews.

Welfare

A major part of the guide is devoted to the topics of hand washing, toilet facilities, canteens, rest areas, changing facilities, showers, etc.

Tip 1. Restrict the number of workers using welfare facilities at any one time so that a two-metre distance can be maintained. Use a welfare attendant or signage to enforce these rules.

Tip 2. Encourage your workers to bring their own food with them and ensure they do not leave site to purchase it from local shops.

For a copy of Construction Sector - Site Operating Procedures, Protecting Your Workforce During Coronavirus (Covid-19), visit http://tipsandadvice-healthandsafety.co.uk/download (HS 18.17.03).

The Construction Leadership Council has published the “go to” guide on the subject of site safety during the pandemic. You’re expected to do as much as you reasonably can to meet social distancing expectations, but the guide gives you options for those times when it’s not feasible.

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