Construction resumed May 1 in Pennsylvania and includes many new job-site safety protocols in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, according to www.constructiondive.com.
Gov. Tom Wolf (D-Pa.) originally planned to restart construction May 8 but moved the date up a week after receiving pressure from the development industry, construction unions and Republican lawmakers. Wolf’s guidance for restarting construction activity was developed with input from the General Contractors Association of Pennsylvania.
Contractors returning to work will be taking new safety precautions, such as requiring face masks for all employees and implementing handwashing stations and staggered shifts. The guidance requires employers maintain a 6-foot minimum distance between all workers “unless the safety of the public or workers require deviation,” such as with drywalling or team lifting work.
Companies also must identify a Pandemic Safety Officer for each project or worksite or for each contractor on-site at large-scale construction projects. The officer will convey, implement and enforce social distancing and other requirements of the governor’s order.
Construction firms also must establish practices for handling employees with probable or confirmed cases of COVID-19; limit tool sharing and sanitize tools if they must be shared; employ job-site screening based on Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidance to determine whether employees should work, and prohibit work of any employees with symptoms of COVID-19; and ensure workers are traveling to and from the job site separately, among other safety precautions.
“As we start to take steps to reopen the state, we recognize that the construction industry is vital to Pennsylvania’s economy and may operate safely with stringent guidance in place that will protect employees and the public,” Wolf said.
