COVID-19 safety protocols for contractors.

April 03, 2020

The Canadian Construction Association has issued an excellent summary of recommended safety procedures for all contractors

By Steve Payne

Let’s start with the obvious: COVID-19 has upended all of our lives. As a contractor, you don’t need us to tell you how difficult it is to keep building. This article will give you some guidelines on how your company – and your crews – can operate safely. COVID-19 is a killer. This is not the time to be lax on procedures. While some provincial safety regulations are complex and difficult to adhere to at all times, COVID-19 precautions are easy to understand.

Of course, by the time you are reading this, you may not be allowed to build in your jurisdiction. At time of writing, Quebec had almost completely shut down its residential construction industry. Ontario is allowing construction to proceed only on those sites which had received a footings permit by midnight on April 4th – no new permits will be issued in Ontario at this time. Other provinces are tightening restrictions on construction on a week-by-week basis.

But, as difficult as things are right now, there will definitely come a time (depending on which province you operate in) when residential construction will be allowed to proceed again.

There is no doubt that COVID-19 “protocols” will be in place at that time. We may have to live with COVID-19 regulations on jobsites (as in all workplaces) on the long term – meaning years, not months. This is likely to be true even after a Coronavirus vaccine is widely available in Canada (experts say this could take 18 months at the earliest – and possibly longer). As long as a single case of COVID-19 exists somewhere in the country, Canadian contractors will need to take care to prevent its transmission on their jobsites.

So, what are the best practices for COVID-19 precautions on Canadian construction sites? The first best practice is to actually have procedures in place – and have signs up declaring that fact.

This writer spoke to two contractors last week who reported that members of the public had stood outside their jobsites, hurling abuse at their workers for continuing to work during the pandemic. When the workers (this was in Ontario) said that construction had been declared an essential activity in the province (at that time), the unwanted site visitors continued to yell at the workers. “Their morale was shot, it really affected them,” one of the owners of the firm told me. “What can we do about this type of thing?”

Signage and clear policies are where it starts. All jobsites should have signage, now that COVID-19 is here, declaring that Covid-19 Safety Procedures Are in Place. The signs should say that provincial legislation allows the project to continue (or resume, as the case may be). All workers on the jobsite must be informed about COVID-19 policies and procedures.

In these early days, one construction organization has produced a really excellent COVID-19 procedures document. The Canadian Construction Association (CCA) released its first version of the COVID-19 Standardized Protocols for All Canadian Construction Sites on March 27. It is well worth reading. In fact, it is essential that you read this 4-page document, if you are a contractor or a subtrade. For those who would like a shortened version, here is an edited summary. (Again, to be completely safe, please read the entire document at the link above.)

Communication and awareness

Clear signage needs to be posted at entry points on the construction site, outlining the commitment of the contractor to maintain health and safety measures during the COVID-19 crisis.

Hygiene practices for all personnel

• Avoid touching eyes, nose or mouth with unwashed hands.
• Maintain “Physical Distancing” – minimum 2.0 metres (6 feet, the length of a hockey stick) between all workers.
• Only cough or sneeze into a tissue (disposed of immediately into a lined wastebasket) or the bend of your arm.
• Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces, including all reusable PPE (Personal Protective Equipment, such as masks and gloves).
• Do not share tools, phones, pens, etc.
• Avoid physical greetings like handshakes.
• Wash hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds after using the washroom, when preparing food, and after blowing nose, coughing, or sneezing. If hands are not visibly soiled, and soap and water are available, alcohol-based hand sanitizer can be used.

Travel

• All individuals returning from out of country must undergo a 14-day self-isolation period, as mandated by the federal government.

Meetings

• Where practical, meetings should be held through teleconferencing or videoconferencing.

Access to and travel to construction site

• Non-essential individuals are NOT permitted on site.
• Workers should travel to the jobsite individually.

Construction site and site trailer cleaning protocols

• All points of frequent contact (door handles, railings, ladders, switches, controls, taps, etc. should be wiped down at least twice a day with a disinfectant.
• Hand washing stations with a posted hand washing protocol and/or hand sanitizer stations should be provided at site entries and exits.

Compartmentalization

• The construction site is to be segregated to the extent possible in zones to keep different crews/trades physically separated at all times.
• Upper limits are put on the number of people allowed in each zone

Site Operations

• Site teams are encouraged to put forward split-alternating shifts to avoid extensive intermingling.
• Arrangements are made as necessary to avoid workers breaking the minimum physical distance with others for prolonged periods. Where this cannot be avoided, workers are to wear additional PPE as appropriate.

Deliveries

• Nothing is passed between the deliverer and the receiver (such as pens or documents).

Screening at entry of construction site

• Before entering the site, individuals must confirm that they are not currently exhibiting flu-like symptoms of any kind; that they have not returned from outside of Canada in the last 14 days; and that they have not been in contact with someone with a confirmed or probable case of COVID-19.

Possible cases of COVID-19

• Individuals who have been potentially exposed to the virus, or who are exhibiting flu-like symptoms such as fever, tiredness, coughing or congestion are are instructed to: Not come to work and contact their supervisor. They must stay at home and self-isolate. They should contact their local health authorities for further direction. They may not return to work until given approval by the proper health authorities.
• Individuals who begin to display flu-like symptoms on site are instructed to avoid touching anything, take care to contain coughs and sneezes, and return home immediately to undergo a 14-day self-isolation period.
• All areas on site potentially infected by this individual should be barricaded to keep individuals two metres away until the area is properly cleaned and disinfected.

Again, it is highly recommended that the full version of the CCA’s COVID-19 Protocols should be completely read by all contractors and subtrades.