How Construction Companies Can Ensure They Are COVID-19 Compliant
By: Dustin | Date Posted: August 6, 2021
Table of Contents
With more than 34 million cases of COVID-19 and new infections still being reported daily, it’s safe to say the COVID-19 pandemic remains a fact of contemporary life.
Yet construction companies still have to ensure they are not only getting work done on schedule and within budget, but they also have to make sure they are COVID-19 compliant on every project.
Incorporating proper COVID-19 procedures and taking extra precautions isn’t just about meeting new compliance regulations. I
t’s the moral thing to do during an unprecedented pandemic. The coronavirus has mutated, creating new variants that are affecting even those who are vaccinated.
Are There Direct Regulations from OSHA?
When considering COVID-19 compliance, it’s essential to go back to any authoritative source for new insight. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has not issued any official guidelines or policies that affect existing laws.
However, there is a law in place: the Occupational Safety and Health Act. The portion that impacts COVID-19 compliance is known as the General Duty Clause.
Simply put, employers must provide an environment free from recognized hazards that are likely to cause death or severe harm to employees.
The long-term effects of COVID-19 are severe enough that managing the risk during all construction projects is critical.
Given the severity of the COVID-19 crisis, construction safety measures are more critical than ever.
State Level Compliance
It’s essential to look at requirements at the state and local levels to ensure COVID-19 compliance. Search for requirements in your state before moving forward with project bids.
Generally speaking, standard requirements throughout all states include social distancing, wearing masks, and performing regular COVID-19 testing, especially after someone contracts the virus.
Aside from the coronavirus, always expect the worst-case scenario since construction sites have high safety hazards.
Proper planning and preparation during an emergency are the keys to the safety of all people on the construction site, especially the highly vulnerable workers who operate heavy equipment and work in confined spaces.
There could also be possibly buried military warfare agents and dormant bombs in the ground for many years that can leak and put the lives of construction workers at stake.
Construction companies must comply with industry safety standards and government safety protocols. Create a standard operating procedure (SOP) for these similar scenarios based on state and federal laws. They should ensure that construction workers have the appropriate safety gear readily available.
Construction companies can also invest in temperature sensors, bomb sensors, and other advanced technologies to detect high COVID risk exposure and other safety hazards.
Vaccination: A Strong Defense Against the Worst Symptoms of COVID-19
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, COVID-19 vaccines are now available to everyone 12 and older.
Encouraging all workers to become vaccinated helps stop the spread of COVID-19, including the increasing number of cases because of the Delta variant, a highly contagious form of the coronavirus.
Vaccination is free, and workers can get vaccinated at multiple community sites. Drugstores such as CVS and Walgreens also stepped up to the task of getting people vaccinated.
Other community health centers have information about setting up vaccination appointments, and walk-in appointments also are often available.
Construction workers looking to be vaccinated must be sure they get all required doses to be fully protected. There is also a two-week period after the final shot before a person is fully vaccinated.
Not every area has all of the different vaccines available, but vaccination is essential in slowing the spread of the virus.
Pfizer and Moderna make the two most common vaccines available. The Pfizer vaccine is 95% effective against COVID-19, while the Moderna shot is 94.1% effective. Both require two injections for full vaccination.
Can Vaccination Be Mandatory?
Can’t vaccination against COVID-19 be mandatory for all construction workers? It sounds like a simple question, given the seriousness of the disease.
But the real-world answer is that it depends. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) issued a statement saying that it does not bar an employer from requiring vaccines.
That said, allowances for workers with medical or religious exemptions are a factor in any company’s vaccination policy.
Consulting legal counsel before rolling out a vaccine mandate is a wise decision. The Association of General Contractors also released a quick guide on mandatory vaccination and whether it should be set up companywide.
Personal Protection Equipment
Masks help stop the spread of COVID-19. While they aren’t a substitute for surgical masks and respirators when needed, cloth masks still keep workers from spreading droplets in the air, one of the top ways the virus spreads to other people. In other words, a mask protects not only the person wearing it but everyone around that person.
Disinfecting commonly used surfaces and changing how food is served on-site are two essential measures to ensure COVID-19 compliance. While some job sites prefer to use buffet-style dining to feed workers, serving workers in disposable take-out boxes is better.
Connecting with commercial janitorial companies for deep cleaning and disinfecting can help slow the spread of COVID-19, as the virus can live on surfaces for an extended period.
Construction workers are also at a high risk of exposure to other toxic air pollutants, including chemicals and harmful biological elements like asbestos, as they excavate the ground and knock down buildings.
The use of a full-face respirator or a gas tactical gas mask to avoid exposure to these agents is a must. Check more information on gas masks and other personal protective equipment to upgrade your safety measures as necessary.
Handling The Inevitable: Workers With COVID-19
Construction management focuses on making sure their companies are COVID-19 compliant and must face a complicated reality: what happens when workers ultimately contract the virus? Even when following all construction safety protocols, the risk of getting COVID-19 from other places is still prevalent.
Be mindful not to cast blame when approaching workers. Even if you take every precaution, the asymptomatic transmission of COVID-19 can still occur.
The worker must leave the job site and remain at home for ten days in isolation, which is different from quarantine.
Isolation means not only does the employee need to stay at home, but they also must remain apart from those household members who aren’t infected.
It is good to advise all residents of the employee’s home to be tested for COVID-19 if a worker reports a positive test themselves.
After ten days pass, have the worker take another COVID-19 test before clearing them to return to the job site.
Conclusion
The global COVID-19 pandemic is still a concern even still after it began almost two years ago. However, we now have more information than ever about minimizing the risks of contracting COVID-19 and how to keep workers safe on the job.
By employing preventative measures such as social distancing, wearing masks, and routine testing, you can ensure proper compliance at every construction site, every time.
While these changes are complex, construction management and safety require renewed attention on keeping workers safe and doing one’s part to stop the spread of this highly contagious virus.
Thank you for reading!
