How to maintain a safe construction site
January 20, 2021: Updates to Construction site health and safety during COVID-19
Find resources, best practices and information to help you create a COVID-19 workplace safety plan to keep your workers safe and healthy, and your construction projects going during COVID-19. Read more
Download the poster from the MLTSD
Take Additional Safety MeasuresEven though many construction projects have been deemed to be essential services, there will be challenges and precautions that must be taken in order to protect the health and safety of all workers
It is imperative that employers, supervisors and constructors recognize that these are stressful times, and many workers are suffering additional stress and anxiety. Be mindful of those suffering, take steps to care for their mental health. Stress and fatigue are contributing factors to accidents. This is not the time to try and push deadlines. Create a new work plan that allows for extended deadlines. Identify new site hazards that allow for common access like shared washrooms, lunchrooms, elevators, stairways, and heavy equipment and create new controls that will increase protection. Follow the guidelines set out by Health Canada and the Canadian Construction Association's Pandemic Preparedness Guide Give a safety talk
|
Construction: Essential ServicesAs defined by the Province of Ontario
March 23, 2020 26. Construction projects and services associated with the healthcare sector, including new facilities, expansions, renovations and conversion of spaces that could be repurposed for health care space;
27. Construction projects and services required to ensure safe and reliable operations of critical provincial infrastructure, including transit, transportation, energy and justice sectors beyond the day-to-day maintenance; 28. Construction work and services, including demolition services, in the industrial, commercial, institutional and residential sectors; 29. Construction work and services that supports health and safety environmental rehabilitation projects | ||||
Implement new controls
All workers must follow the COVID-19 protocols put in place by the employer and officials from Health Canada. The following procedures are just a starting point to build from.
- Physical distancing – 2 metres apart from any other person
- Hand sanitizing – use when soap and water are not available
- Hand washing – wash hands often and for 20 seconds as per the instructions attached.
- Wash your work clothes daily, change when you get home as soon as possible.
- Surface cleaning: Wipe down your personal tools and PPE before and after every use. Do not share your PPE with anyone. Soft surfaces, such as full body harnesses and lanyards can be washed with a gentle detergent and hung to dry.
- Pay attention to metal surfaces: Studies have indicated that the virus can live up to 72 hours on steel. Wipe down all metal components on PPE including fall arrest equipment, and hand-held non-powered tools with a disinfectant wipe or cloth sprayed with a disinfectant. If that is not possible, where practicable, wash with soap and water (carabiners, wrenches, hammers etc.)
|
March 26, 2020: The Canadian Constructin Association released "COVID-19 - Standardized Protocols for All Canadian Construction Sites". This is a comprehensive guide and should be used as a primary resource to build your site specific pandemic response plan.
Labour Management Group and prepared an extensive list of best practices to help combat the spread of COVID-19 at construction sites. You can read the full list online or download below.
| ||
COVID-19 Resources
|
Preparedness Checklists
|
Signage Downloads
|
Go PaperlessWe are all avoiding using cash as one way to avoid contact with COVID-19 and other viruses. Look at all the other ways you can stop using paper at work. This could include replacing daily inspection sheets and memos with cloud based apps that allow virtual sharing of collected data from field to the office (which may now be at someone's kitchen table).
There are many of these cloud based apps on the market. Here are a two that we are familiar with and here is complete list of resources you can check out. 
(Note: we are not affiliated with nor benefit financially from sharing these links with you). |
10 Essential Ways Contractors & Subs
|
Construction Law Group Recommendations
|
The Construction Law Group at Cassels, a corporate law firm in Toronto, issued a list of high-level recommendations for employers in the construction and land development industry to keep in mind as the Covid-19 pandemic continues. |
The recommendations focus on four areas for industry leaders to keep top of mind:
- Stay informed – Companies should regularly check government websites and news releases to stay up-to-date on the latest provisions and health recommendations.
- Communication – All parties have to stay in touch to avoid surprises. It’s very possible that projects scheduling, delivery, and completion dates could be impacted – due to supply chain and personnel restrictions, so clear communications – both to and from – construction firms, developers, buyers, and all other stakeholders, is critical from the start.
- Review contract provisions – Contractual obligations exist, and as Covid-19 develops, if there are any anticipations that these obligations cannot be met, parties should review their contracts to see what provisions exist that can excuse performance. This will likely take the form of force majeure, which typically addresses unanticipated events beyond anyone’s control.
- Review insurance policies – Organizations should review all required and applicable contract and project insurance policies to evaluate whether there is appropriate coverage for potential losses that they may incur.
THIS IS NOT BUSINESS AS USUAL: Construction Sites Put on Notice
MARCH 26, 2020 Provincial Update : Premier Ford’s Address Summary
Premier Ford made a statement at the beginning of his news conference which directly addressed the construction sector,
please see that transcription below:
Premier Ford made a statement at the beginning of his news conference which directly addressed the construction sector,
please see that transcription below:
“When it comes to necessities of life, shelter is at the top of the list, and we cannot take lightly a decision, which could put shelter for thousands of people at risk. Yesterday, I put the construction industry on notice. Our chief provincial officer has sent out new guidelines for construction sites, and there are currently dozens of provincial labour inspectors at numerous jobsites to ensure appropriate protocols are in place. These inspectors will not hesitate to shut sites down. Let me be clear, if the industry does not take every step necessary to look after their workers, I will shut them down, because this is the first and foremost a public health emergency. The public health comes above all else, Shutting down non-essential workplaces, was a necessary decision and we will not hesitate to shut down further workplaces as needed. We need to do everything possible to slow the spread of COVID-19. As a society we are being asked to make tremendous individual sacrifices. To get through this we must all make sacrifices, we must put our collective wellbeing above all else, and today we are recognizing the sacrifices that people and businesses are making during these difficult days.”
