OSHA issues guidance for construction workers and employers on COVID-19
2020-05-28T05:00:00Z
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) launched a webpage with coronavirus-related guidance for construction employers and workers. The guidance includes recommended actions to reduce the risk of exposure to the coronavirus.
Employers of workers engaged in construction should remain alert to changing outbreak conditions, including as they relate to community spread of the virus and testing availability. The new OSHA webpage includes information on categorizing risks:
- Lower (caution): Tasks that allow employees to remain at least 6 feet apart and involve little contact with the public, visitors, or customers.
- Medium: Tasks that require workers to be within 6 feet of one another; Tasks that require workers to be in close contact (within 6 feet) with customers, visitors, or members of the public.
- High: Entering an indoor work site occupied by people such as other workers, customers, or residents suspected of having or known to have COVID-19, including when an occupant of the site reports signs and symptoms consistent with COVID-19. Employers may consider delaying this work following the guidance below.
- Very High: Category not applicable for most anticipated work tasks. Most construction work tasks are associated with no more than high exposure risk.
The webpage also covers topics such as:
- Using barriers such as walls, closed doors, or plastic sheeting to separate workers from individuals experiencing signs or symptoms consistent with the coronavirus;
- Keeping in-person meetings (including toolbox talks and safety meetings) as short as possible, limiting the number of workers, and using social distancing practices;
- Screening calls when scheduling indoor construction work to assess potential exposures and circumstances in the work environment before worker entry;
- Requesting that shared spaces where construction activities are being performed have good air flow; and
- Staggering work schedules, such as alternating workdays or extra shifts, to reduce the total number of employees on a job site at any given time and to ensure physical distancing.