- Nicky Frost
Construction workers on self-build and renovation sites
Construction workers on self-build and renovation sites in England are being encouraged to return this week, and adhere to new safety guidelines. Prime Minister Boris Johnson told the construction sector in England to “go to work” this week, with construction workers among those being actively encouraged to return to work from Wednesday.
The prime minister said: “This is not the time simply to end the lockdown this week. Instead, we are taking the first careful steps to modify our measures. And the first step is a change of emphasis that we hope that people will act on this week.”
He said: “We said that you should work from home if you can, and only go to work if you must. We now need to stress that anyone who can’t work from home, for instance, those in construction or manufacturing, should be actively encouraged to go to work.”
To ensure builders’ safety, the government released its new workplace safety guidelines this week, with a specific set of recommendations for the construction sector.
Among the recommendations:
Construction firms must consider which staff they need on site, and support staff should be told to work from home where possible
Building site access should be restricted to encourage social distancing, while jobs and equipment rotation should be reduced
Break times, arrival times and shift patterns should be staggered
Hand sanitiser and cleaning should be available, especially for cleaning shared tools or vehicles, such as forklift trucks and pallet trucks.
References:
https://www.theconstructionindex.co.uk/news/view/pm-tells-construction-to-re-open-sites