CEA and Cleveland Building and Construction Trades Council Issue Guidance
OHIO CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY ANNOUNCEMENT REGARDING JOBSITE SAFETY AND THE COVID‐19 OUTBREAK
Our organizations represent Labor and Management in the Greater Cleveland Construction Industry. The purpose of this communication is to describe the specific mitigation strategies that our members – the Greater Cleveland Construction Industry employers and their skilled workforce – should take to combat the COVID‐19 outbreak.
The Greater Cleveland Construction Industry is committed to the health, safety and wellbeing of our workforce and our fellow Ohioans. Safety is paramount in how we do business.
These strategies are derived from the CDC, OSHA and the Ohio Department of Health's workplace recommendations. Our organizations are promoting the universal implementation of these measures to safeguard jobsites through the duration of the COVID‐19 outbreak.
The following measures should be taken across the Greater Cleveland’s Construction Industry:
- Enhanced Worker Education – Specialized communications and posters on the importance of frequent hand washing and hygiene, cough and sneeze protocols, along with the mandate to stay home when an employee is feeling sick or has an elevated temperature (100.4 degrees or higher). All employees must diligently observe these requirements.
- Jobsite and Equipment Cleanliness - Jobsites should be kept clean, with frequent cleaning of any repeatedly touched surfaces on the site. Any tools or equipment that might be shared by workers should be cleaned before and after use.
- Vigilant Attention to Jobsite Restrooms and Hand Cleaning Facilities - All employers should make certain that these facilities are in clean, working order and stocked with soap, hand sanitizer, or running water.
- Social Distancing Measures - Construction jobsites are NOT densely populated work areas. Nevertheless, the following should also be taken across our industry:
- Workers should be instructed to observe a minimum distance of six (6) feet between individuals to increase physical space between each individual at the worksite. This includes pre‐work and post‐work events of all kinds.
- Employers should change their jobsite communications, planning, and schedules to shrink or eliminate group gatherings. This includes minimizing or the elimination of pre‐job conferences, communal break locations, and activity that would bring a group of people together on the jobsite. Policies for material deliveries and other third‐party jobsite visits may need to be altered. These and other measures – which include remote work should be considered and implemented.
We will continue to support and take the steps necessary to protect the health, safety and welfare of our workforce and our fellow Ohioans.
Know that the health and safety of our members and their families is always job number one. Responsible contractors and their skilled labor force will continue to provide a vital service to our State.