Essential or Not, All Construction Requires Enhanced Safety Protocols
Date Posted: April 10, 2020
Posted In: COVID-19 Updates, Discussion, Projects, Workforce,
From ConstructionDive:
by Greg Sizemore, vice president of health, safety, environment and workforce development for Associated Builders and Contractors
Across the United States, communities are working diligently to respond to the coronavirus outbreak. From healthcare to food distribution and other essential services, all industries are assessing ways to keep their workforce healthy and safe while meeting the needs of our nation during this time of crisis.
On construction jobsites, health and safety drives decision-making processes when it’s business as usual, but especially during unprecedented circumstances like the COVID-19 outbreak, which completely shifts the paradigm.
Contractors will be needed to safely build, expand and maintain hospitals and healthcare facilities to care for COVID-19 victims and patients who need critical care after a car accident or heart attack. Contractors will be needed to safely retrofit existing structures such as dorms, hotels and stadiums for emergency use, modify manufacturing facilities due to increased demand for medical supplies and provide new transportation corridors for people and materials. We also need construction safely performed to rebuild facilities after an earthquake, fire, flood, hurricane or tornado like the recent one in Arkansas and provide shelter for people left homeless after such a disaster.