Back to BlogCOVID19 Site Guidance

ppe builders hat

New COVID19 Site Guidance available now. Following the Prime Minister’s announcement on 23/03/20, Build UK and the Construction Leadership Council have released an official guide to social distancing on sites.  The guidance intends to introduce consistent measures for all sites, in line with the government’s social distancing recommendations.  We have put together a quick read of the key points below:

Key Points

Self-isolation and procedure if someone falls ill

Anyone who falls into the high-risk category or is living with a high-risk person, should not come to site.  If workers develop a high temperature or new persistent cough, they should not come to site and should self-isolate.  High-risk category includes; the elderly, those with underlying health conditions and pregnant people.

If someone falls ill on site they must avoid touching anything and return home immediately.  They must then follow government guidance on self-isolation.

Travel to site and site access points

Workers should avoid public transport and where possible, use their own transport to get to site.  Parking for additional cars and bikes should be arranged.

Staggered working hours are suggested to avoid congestion at entry points and any entry measures requiring skin contact should be disabled (i.e. fingerprint scanners).  Hand washing facilities should be available for all to use before entering/leaving the site.

Hand washing and toilet facilities

Additional hand washing facilities should be installed if there is a large number of personnel onsite, or if it is a large site.  If soap and fresh water is not possible, hand sanitizer should be provided.  Enhanced cleaning regimes for toilet facilities should be introduced and limit the number of people using the facilities at the one time.

Canteens and eating arrangements

If equipment for heating food/making hot drinks cannot be adequately cleaned between uses, they must be removed from site.  Workers should stay onsite after they arrive in the morning and not leave to go to shops.  Workers should sit 2m apart and lunch times should be staggered to avoid excessive amounts of people in the canteen.   All areas must be sufficiently cleaned at the end of each break and shift.

General points

  • Non-essential work that requires close contact should not be carried out and work requiring skin-to-skin contact should be avoided.
  • Reusable PPE must be thoroughly cleaned after use and not shared between workers
  • Single use PPE should be disposed of immediately
  • Stairs should be used instead of lifts
  • Site meetings should only involve necessary participants and they should stay 2m apart at all times
  • Enhanced cleaning procedures should be introduced, particularly in communal areas

Should you wish to read the full report on the new COVID19 Site Guidance, click here.

 

If you have any questions regarding your current role with FPS or any future roles, please don’t hesitate to get in touch on 0141 270 5000 or visit our website