Health & Safety Guidelines for Resuming Essential Construction Activities

 

April 27, 2020

RoundSquare Builders (RSB) is committed to supporting the effort to restrict the viral contagion of COVID-19, and as a result, the company has issued the following guidelines for Sub-Contractors, employees and all personnel to follow while working at a job site. We are all working together in this difficult time to reduce the spread of the virus. We remain committed to ensuring that its employees, subcontractors and their families are kept safe while on the jobsite. These guidelines are effective for all Sub-Contractors working on-site until further notice. The following guidelines are subject to change as the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recommendations evolve.

RSB Responsibilities

• RSB will appoint a COVID-19 Coordinator to train and support staff to minimize risk and maintain proper communication.

  • The coordinator can be the Foreman, Superintendent or Project Manager.

  • The coordinator will be responsible for Pre-Entry screening (see below), no one will be allowed to enter site without being pre-screened and completing the COVID-19 Screening Tool (Exhibit A).

• The Company project manager or lead tradesperson will evaluate the need for additional staff to support the COVID-19 Coordinator based on the level of staffing and nature of preventative measure required.

• The project manager or their designee will inform all employees of COVID-19 status and update on implementation of prevention and control measures when they become available.

• The COVID-19 Coordinator, project managers, safety and/or supervisors will inform internal and external employees about the local COVID-19 control measures prior to their arrival to site. Guests or visitors will be required to attend the owner or client’s COVID-19 orientation prior to entering the site or offices.

• RSB ensures that there will be no guests & visitors if not deemed essential

• Site Project/Construction Managers shall, (as soon as is practical) implement measures to increase opportunity for physical distancing

• Project Management shall be responsible for assuring sufficient hand, tool cleaning and disinfection supplies and assure they are immediately available at the work site at all times.

• Project Management and safety will assure to implement actions to be taken in case of identification of a positive confirmed case of COVID-19 person on the jobsite

• Immediately notify the PM, Superintendent/Foreman and Safety Department

• Project Management is responsible for posting signage around entrance gates, job trailers, and work areas:

  • Signage to follow in this document

• All employees are responsible for following these precautionary measures

  • Avoid close contact (within 6 feet) with other site workers or visitors to the fullest extent possible.

• Anyone on site must wear protective face coverings

• Use good sanitary methods including; frequent hand washing, hand sanitizers, and use of disinfectants

• Avoid touching face with gloved hands and only after hand washing or sanitizing has been performed

• Avoid shaking hands, hi-fiving, fist bumps, kissing or hugging while greeting visitors

• Cough/Sneeze into your elbow and wash or sanitize your hands immediately

• Any employee who has been exposed to COVID-19 within the last 14 days who has tested positive or has symptoms must not enter the jobsite and RSB personnel must notify the Client’s Project Manager immediately.

• If an employees staff becomes symptomatic while on site they must leave the facility immediately and then RSB will notify client immediately. The area where that contractor has worked or passed through must be cleaned thoroughly and disclosed.

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Pre-Entry Screening

• The COVID-Screening Tool (Exhibit A) shall be used to screen all persons assigned to a site.

• All visitors and personnel returning to a site after extended leave/rotation, or those that felt ill and missed days at work shall complete the COVID-19 Screening Tool

• The COVID-19 Coordinator shall approve/deny the screening based on the answers provided. Subcontractor shall review cases with the Lead COVID-19 Coordinator to evaluate return to work conditions. The confidentiality of the subject worker shall be protected.

• A visitor is defined as a person that is not regularly on the jobsite and include delivery drivers, salespersons, agency representatives, etc.

• All non-construction personnel will be subject to completion of the screening form

• Individuals shall adhere to physical distancing outside of work sites in an attempt to further reduce the spread of the virus. This includes avoiding post work hangouts (restaurants and bars and close contact with other workers, general public, family members residing outside of their primary residence, etc. outside of work hours to minimize the risk of infection.

 

Emergency Response

• In the event that someone is presenting symptoms, this information must be reported to their supervisor or health & safety representative. The individual shall be removed from site and directed to call their Doctor or local public health authorities prior to traveling to the hospital or urgent care center.

• In the case of suspected and/or positive symptoms, public places, and work location including tools where the affected person was working shall be disinfected in accordance with CDC protocols

  • An investigation shall be conducted by the Lead COVID-19 coordinator (this could be the safety rep) to determine who was in close contact with the affected individual.

    • First report shall be completed

  • Personnel that have come into direct contact with the affected employee shall be sent home for self-observation until the affected person is confirmed negative for COVID-19.

  • Should the employee’s results come back positive, the personnel that have come into direct contact with the employee will remain in self-observation for a total of 14 days

• In the event that the jobsite is forced to be shutdown, follow site specific procedures as well as local and federal requirements. Proper communication is critical during the shutdown to ensure that the jobsite is shutdown safely and effectively.

Cleaning/Decontamination Schedule

• Public facilities such as job trailers, gang boxes, tools, toilets, door handles, sinks, kitchen equipment, keyboards and mice, desks, etc. should be cleaned regularly

• Break areas including chairs and single use tables shall be cleaned and disinfected prior to and after each use.

• All portable toilets located throughout jobsite shall be cleaned at lease daily and be disinfected.

  • This could include spray and no wipe style sanitizer

• All common use (used by more than one employee per day) tools and other equipment (buggies, radios, etc.) shall undergo cleaning prior to changing the user, or after use or at least once daily.

• Workers will be encouraged to use disinfectant wipes or a bottle of DMQ (disinfectant type) spray to clean tool handles prior to each use and at the end of the day.

 

Communication During Work

• Teams should be organized with the minimum reasonable number of personnel to better maintain physical distancing and minimize the number of people exposed to being potentially infected.

• If communication is required between crews or teams, it shall be done by the foreman or supervisor via radio/phone or at the minimum distance of 6 ft.

• Where very small/critical crews exist, they should be broken into managed sub-crews/teams where feasible so that continuity can be maintained.

• Workers who must be at the jobsite shall maintain strict spacing and not collect in shared spaces.

  • Employees are encouraged to report and deficiencies to their supervisor(s) and work with them to correct the deficiency.

 

Face-to-Face Meetings

• Minimize face-to-face meetings and conversations. Use online tools such as Zoom, Skype, conference or phone calls

• DO NOT shake hands/make physical contact when greeting individuals

• If meeting in person with visitors, the visitors shall complete the Health Screening Tool and follow the instructions defined in this protocol.

• No more than 10 people in any in-person gatherings or where the physical distancing cannot be maintained.

• Use only your personal belongings (computer, phone, notebook, etc.) and do not share them with others

• Remove seats from meeting areas to force distances greater than 6 ft.

• Always wash/sanitize your hands once the meeting is concluded

• Post trailers with signage advising occupancy limits

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Break Areas and Trailers

• No more than 10 people in any in-person gatherings or where the physical distancing cannot be maintained.

• Use only your personal belongings (computer, phone, notebooks, etc.) and do not share them with others.

• Do not sit next-to or across- from other people if the 6 ft. approach distance cannot be maintained.

  • Rearrange seating as to ensure employees are appropriately separated

• Rearrange seating so no employees are seating directly across from each other UNLESS A minimum 6’ is maintained

• Workstations should be staggered/spread out so direct contact is avoided with adjacent workstations.

• Remove seats from break rooms to force distances greater than 6 ft.

• Face coverings can be removed during meal periods.

• Avoid the use of non-disposable cutlery, plates, cups and other dishware. Do not share cutlery, plates, cups, and other dishware

• Wash/Sanitize hands frequently and properly throughout the day and especially before touching your face, eyes, nose, or mouth.

• Always wash your hands or use hand sanitizer before smoking, drinking, chewing gum or tobacco, applying lip balm or cosmetics, and inserting or removing contact lenses

• Follow general hygienic rules prescribed by the company, OSHA, and the applicable governmental organizations (CDC, WHO, etc.)

• Post appropriate signage

• Post trailer with signage advising occupancy limits

• Break times must be staggered, and locations approved prior to break.

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Goods Reception

• Personnel receiving equipment, materials and other supplies shall have and wear the proper protective equipment including face covering and work gloves or nitrile gloves.

• Adequate supplies of sanitizing and cleaning supplies will be located for use by those designated to offload the delivery vehicle.

• Offloaded objects will be sanitized using a sanitizing product. Where sanitizing is not available, the objects will be quarantined until safe to utilize.