Summary of Social distancing in the workplace during coronavirus (COVID-19): Sector guidance for Construction
Where it is not possible to follow the social distancing guidelines in full in relation to a particular activity, you should consider whether that activity needs to continue for the site to continue to operate, and, if so, take all the mitigating actions possible to reduce the risk of transmission. If you decide the work should go ahead, you should advise the staff to: A. Wash their hands frequently using soap and water for 20 seconds, and especially after blowing their nose, sneezing or coughing, on arrival at work, before and after eating, after using public transport, and when they arrive home. Where facilities to wash hands are not available, hand sanitiser should be used. B. Staff should keep 2 metres apart as much as possible. C. Minimise contact between workers and avoid skin-to-skin and face-to-face contact. Where face-to-face contact is essential, this should be kept to 15 minutes or less wherever possible. D. Keep groups of workers working together in teams that are as small as possible - For example, you keep vehicle crews working together, rather than mixing crew members on different shifts. E. Staff should also wash their hands each time before getting into enclosed machinery (such as diggers) with others, and wash their hands every time they get out. To help with this, you should consider adding additional pop-up handwashing stations or facilities, providing soap, water and/or hand sanitiser. F. Keep windows of enclosed machinery or enclosed spaces open for ventilation G. All staff should avoid touching their face at all times. H. Interior of cabs should be regularly cleaned, particularly between use by different operators. I. Use stairs in preference to lifts or hoists. Where lifts or hoists must be used, you should lower their capacity to reduce congestion and contact at all times, and regularly clean touchpoints, such as doors and buttons. J. Remind colleagues daily to only come into work if they are well and no one in their household is self-isolating. Sources: The Construction Leadership Council BuildUK