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A few ways contractors can manage COVID-19 risks

Codes and Standards

A few ways contractors can manage COVID-19 risks

Staggered start times, rigorous tool cleaning, virtual training among the strategies.


By Peter Fabris, Contributing Editor | May 6, 2020
Contractors framing

Courtesy Pixabay

Contractors have devised new procedures to manage the risk to employees of COVID-19 exposure.

The goal is to alter project management and safety protocols to enable social distancing and enhance hygiene on job sites. Some contractors have added shifts and staggered start times and lunch breaks to reduce the number of workers on site at any given time.

Some contractors have stationed staff with no-touch thermometers to check workers’ temperatures. If workers are running a fever, they are asked to return home to self-quarantine.

Some employers have rented additional wash stations so that workers don’t have to walk as far to wash their hands. Crews are avoiding sharing tools and making sure they clean tools between uses. Another strategy: using tablets for safety training and orientation with modules that emphasize hygiene measures and social distancing.

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