COVID 19 and Construction

COVID 19 is posing a real challenge for businesses across the industry as we shift our working methods to meet government guidelines. One significant hurdle is how to maintain productivity on site while keeping workers safe?

Official guidance is changing day-by-day while many within and outside of the UK construction industry call for non-essential sites to be closed. As anyone who has been on site will know, hygiene can be a challenge to maintain, particularly considering the potency of the coronavirus and the need to maintain a “social distance”.

However, with 36% of construction workers and architects classified as self-employed what would site closures mean for the labour force? While they would be eligible for government assistance this would represent a significant reduction in income for many and may prompt those with families to support to put themselves at risk.

The question of whether sites should remain open continues to divide the industry as it becomes clear that neither option is ideal, and each present their own concerns.

The COVID 19 pandemic presents a range of unprecedented challenges for both the industry and the nation. One thing that remains clear is the need for all of us to support each other as this crisis grows and stick to the guidelines provided by Government and the NHS.

Learn More about our approach to COVID-19 here.

Credit to Phil Chitty

Phil joined us in 2015 as the ESH Manager and works hard to ensure we’re not only compliant with regulations but that we exceed safety standards on and off site. Phil has worked closely with the senior team to ensure the health and wellbeing of staff is maintained particularly in light of current global circumstances.