We are committed to ensuring the health and safety of all our employees and clients during these unprecedented times and have adapted our working practices to ensure that we mitigate the risk by following the measures detailed by the CLC. These include but are not limited to:

• Travelling to and from work

As workers are encouraged to travel to site alone using their own transport, parking arrangements should be considered for additional vehicles and bicycles. Where workers have no option than to use public transport, it is recommended that site hours be changed or staggered to avoid using public transport at peak times.

• Driving at work

Ideally, workers should travel alone whilst at work and between site locations. Where this is not possible, they should share with the same individuals and a minimum number of people at any one time

• Site access and egress points

All non-essential visitors should be stopped, and site access and egress points considered to allow for social distancing– either increased to reduce congestion, or decreased to allow for monitoring, with clear signage.

• Work planning to avoid close working

Sites and work should be planned in order to avoid crowding and minimise the risk of spreading infection.

If it is not possible to follow the social distancing guidelines, it should be considered whether the works should be carried out, and if so, assess it using the ‘hierarchy of controls‘ as detailed by the CLC below.

The results of risk assessments should be shared with the workforce and this poster displayed in the workplace.

Eliminate

• Workers who are unwell with symptoms of Coronavirus (COVID-19) should not travel to or attend the workplace
• Rearrange tasks to enable them to be done by one person, or by maintaining social distancing measures (2 metres)
• Avoid skin to skin and face to face contact
• Stairs should be used in preference to lifts or hoists and consider one ways systems
• Consider alternative or additional mechanical aids to reduce worker interface

Site Meetings

•  Only absolutely necessary meeting participants should attend
•  Attendees should be at least two metres apart from each other
• Rooms should be well ventilated / windows opened to allow fresh
• Consider holding meetings in open areas where possible

Reduce

Where the social distancing measures (2 metres) cannot be applied:

• Minimise the frequency and time workers are within 2 metres of each other
• Minimise the number of workers involved in these tasks
• Workers should work side by side, or facing away from each other, rather than face to face
• Lower the worker capacity of lifts and hoists to reduce congestion and contact at all times
• Regularly clean common touchpoints, doors, buttons, handles, vehicle cabs, tools, equipment etc.
• Increase ventilation in enclosed spaces
• Workers should wash their hands before and after using any equipment

Isolate

Keep groups of workers:

• Together in teams e.g. do not change workers within teams
• As small as possible
• Away from other workers where possible

Control

• Consider introducing an enhanced authorisation process
• Provide additional supervision to monitor and manage compliance

PPE

Sites should not use RPE for Coronavirus (COVID-19) where the two metre social distancing guidelines are met

• Coronavirus (COVID-19) needs to be managed through social distancing, hygiene and the hierarchy of control and not through the use of PPE
• Workplaces should not encourage the precautionary use of extra PPE to protect against Coronavirus (COVID-19).

The Government has provided information on Face Coverings in section 6.1 of its guidance Working safely during coronavirus (Covid-19) – Construction and other outdoor work

Behaviours

The measures necessary to minimise the risk of spread of infection rely on everyone in the industry taking responsibility for their actions and behaviours.

Please encourage an open and collaborative approach between workers and employers on site where any issues can be openly discussed and addressed.

We will continue to closely monitor the situation as it evolves, to ensure we are following the current Government guidance and communicate further as restrictions change.

For full information or to download a copy of the latest procedures, visit The Construction Leadership Council website.