CCA lays out standardized set of health and safety protocols to help job sites contend with coronavirus
By On-Site Staff
Health & Safety COVID-19Safety-compliant jobs sites should remain open, but violators shut down, the industry group says
Cases of COVID-19 continue to climb across Canada. Total figures neared 5,000, as of March 27. PHOTO: Adobe Stock
Despite shutdowns in other large segments of the economy, construction sites in most Canadian provinces remain open — with Quebec being the one notable exception.
The vast majority of industry groups, including the Canadian Construction Association, continue to advocate for sites to remain active, but stress the health and safety of workers should be the top priority.
“Our position is that compliant sites should be open and those that cannot consistently comply with measures and guidelines of public health authorities should shut down,” Mary Van Buren, the CCA’s president, said in a release.
To help contractors ensure sites remain safe while dealing with the COVID-19 outbreak, the industry group released a standardized set of health and safety protocols March 27.
The list of best practices includes detailed steps builders across the country should be taking on their job sites to prevent, detect and respond to coronavirus — including instructions for realigning communications, overhauling cleaning procedures and “compartmentalizing” job sites.
With the health crisis evolving on a daily basis, the CCA said it will be continually update the protocol document to “ensure the industry remains proactive to any emerging risks.”
