Government green light needed for safe return to work, says FMB

The construction industry needs a green light from the Government to ensure that sites can be re-opened safely, according to the Federation of Master Builders (FMB). The call for a safe return to work came in response to the construction PMI data which recorded the fastest decline in construction output since the PMI survey began 23 years ago.

Brian Berry, Chief Executive of the FMB, said: “The fall in construction output matches our members’ experience of the past few months. 96% of local builders have stopped work on site since the coronavirus hit the UK. They’ve been unable to access materials, including PPE, and it has been challenging to maintain social distancing rules on site that keep themselves and the public safe. 40% of clients have requested work to stop.”

The FMB said that to ensure a safe return to work, and fire up construction, the public needs a clear, and joined-up, statement from Government that indoor and outdoor construction is safe. Contractors need guaranteed access to PPE, which the Government should coordinate, so that limited PPE is not taken away from the health front line.

Mr Berry concluded: “In the longer-term, construction needs a clear plan for recovery – something the construction sector is working towards delivering. This must include a national retrofit strategy that harnesses capacity in the SME sector to upgrade the energy efficiency of people’s homes. It needs to tackle poor payment practises in the supply chain to support growth. And it must boost local planning departments to help local house builders bring forward new homes more quickly.”

Trade bodies across the specialist sector have been developing and revising construction safety guidelines in advance of the anticipated re-opening of the economy. Trade bodies have been working  in groups to devise safe ways to work on sites for construction and maintenance activities.

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