Social Distancing Strategies Keep Contractors Productive
Date Posted: June 25, 2020
Posted In: COVID-19 Updates, Ideas, Workforce,
From ConstructionDive: As many construction companies enter the post-COVID-19 environment, they have a challenging job ahead — to ensure their workers abide by social distancing guidelines and still remain productive.
Even if they give their best efforts, though, contractors should realize that they likely will not be able to keep workers at a safe distance from each other at all times.
“At the end of the day,” said Greg Skalaski, executive vice president for Shawmut Design and Construction’s West division, “you cannot fully social distance. However, what you can do is plan and understand how best to address that.”
As far as schedules go, almost all of Gaston Electrical’s projects in the Boston metro area were shut down on March 16 and were closed for more than two months. In many parts of the country where similar mandatory stay-at-home orders were in place, all contractors are playing catch up and having to revise their completion plans.
“We’re fortunate that our customers and general contractors understand,” said Michael Weber, principal at Gaston. “They are true partners of ours … so they understand what we’re going through.”
Despite the general consensus that getting up to speed will be a challenge, there are several strategies contractors are using to gain some ground during the recovery.
Planning the work day
At Shawmut, Skalaski said, each morning starts with intensive pretask planning with each trade about the day ahead.
“It is a much more deliberate process than just getting on site and [starting from] where you were yesterday,” he said. “And that deliberate process helps us with the social distancing in general.”
Crews sketch out where they will be during the day so that they don’t end up working too close to each other. If it is necessary that two people work closer than the recommended 6 feet, Skalaski said, then the crew needs to fill out a form identifying their plan to carry out the task as safely as possible and what personal protective equipment (PPE) will be necessary.
Of course, COVID-19, said Weber, comes up during the subcontractor’s planning sessions, which typically come in the form of daily huddles and weekly toolbox talks. “What we’re saying to them is, ‘If you don’t feel well, don’t come to work,” he said.
Flexible work schedules
Approximately 95% of Gaston’s employees are working schedules similar to what they were before the pandemic, Weber said, and the other 5% are working overtime, although the electrical union has told the company it can use flexible start times and other shift alternatives without added costs. The company already staggers work and lunch breaks to reduce the number of employees in any one spot.