Returning to Construction Worksites in a COVID-19 World

What Employers Can Do To Help Their Employees Stay Safe: 

1. Implement proper PPE

In addition to the regular personal protective equipment our employees wear every day, we’re taking the extra step to encourage them to wear cloth or surgical masks. The CDC recommends that the masks fit snugly but comfortably and be secured with ties or ear loops. We’re ensuring that our employees are wearing them properly, with their nose and mouth fully covered. If gloves are not already a part of a worksite PPE, we’re providing disposable pairs at the worksite.

2. Encourage personal hygiene

We’ve all heard that frequent hand-washing is key to stopping the spread of coronavirus. That’s why it’s important that every worksite make it easy for employees to wash their hands often. We’re implementing more handwashing stations throughout our worksites, so our employees don’t have to go far to access them. When the worksite makes that impossible, we’re following MBCEA resources and providing alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60 percent alcohol. 

3. Encourage social distancing

Early on during the pandemic, there were many comparisons drawn between coronavirus and the flu, which was misleading, given the virus’s ability to spread, its deadliness and the lack of herd immunity. While we all know that keeping six feet apart is often easier said than done when it comes to construction sites, the resources provided by MBCEA encourage all of us to try to stick to this rule to the best of our ability. Drywallers and painters may especially have issues keeping apart, so we’re staggering work schedules to make it more feasible.

Another way to encourage distancing is to find adequate parking nearby, so employees don’t need to carpool to worksite. That is why we’re staggering shifts whenever possible. We’re also staggering breaks and keeping meetings short and small—less than 10 people. Finally, we’re eliminating shared water sources, which encourage gathering and can spread the virus through droplets. Instead, we’re providing disposable water bottles at each worksite.

4. Discourage sick employees

The symptoms of COVID-19 often mimic those of the flu, so sick individuals sometimes brush off what should be a red flag. When our employees are experiencing a fever, cough or shortness of breath, we do not let them report to the job site. Instead, we have them seek medical attention and stay home until symptoms have cleared or they are given permission by their physician to return to work. On the Resource Page, we link you to the Families First Coronavirus Response Act. This Act requires certain employees to take up to two weeks of paid sick leave if they are experiencing COVID-19 symptoms.
We’re training our supervisors to keep an eye out for anyone who appears to be sick so they can prevent an infectious illness from spreading through the rest of the worksite. Finally, we’re requiring that our employees report to their supervisor if they or a member of their household has come into contact with someone exposed to or diagnosed with COVID-19, so we can quarantine them for the appropriate amount of time.

5. Clean equipment

We’re getting our workers in the habit of disinfecting equipment and tools throughout the day, especially at the beginning and the end of every shift. In the resource provided on the MBCEA website, we encourage you to use alcohol-based wipes to disinfect surfaces. The same goes for jobsite toilets, and for frequently-touched surfaces such as door handles and toilet seats. The CDC recommends using watered-down household bleach, or following the EPA’s guide on a list of disinfectants effective against COVID-19.

6. Have response plan in place