More construction sites expected to open this week

More construction sites are are expected to open this week by implementing new ways of working required for the ‘social distancing’ environment caused by the coronavirus crisis.

The Construction Leadership Council plan to reveal Version 3 of their  Site Operating Procedures later today. These are expected to include the latest Public Health England (PHE) guidance on social distancing in the workplace during coronavirus crisis (COVID-19). The procedures will include additional information about the hierarchy of control measures to reduce the risk of transmission, and the need to monitor implementation of the procedures.

In a stement this morning Build UK said:  “The relentless pace and volume of change, along with the unprecedented level of information to be absorbed, has created significant challenges for many in the industry.”

An industry insider told Spector magazine that: “Where sites have been operating principal contractors have tried to introduce measures to avoid breaching social distancing, such as one way pedestrian routes into and around sites, but part of the problem is not all workers seem worried. Many think they are indestructible.”

Last week Public Health England (PHE) updated  guidelines in the sector-specific Construction guidance said: “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.”

PHE also commented about travel to work where there is no option but to share a car with people who are not part of the same household. PHE said:”Journeys should be shared with the same individuals and with the minimum number of people at any one time.”