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Life will be a little easier for the construction industry when the country goes to coronavirus alert level 2, but don’t expect big changes, says national security organization Site Safe.
The government will decide on Monday afternoon whether New Zealand will exit alert level 3, giving the country 48 hours to prepare.
For construction, level 3 has meant a return to work but with significant restrictions such as strict rules of hygiene and distance.
Dominion-Post
For construction, level 3 has meant a return to work but with significant restrictions. ROSS GIBLIN / THINGS
Moving to level 2 from level 3 would be relatively straightforward, because it would primarily be a relaxation of some measures, including distancing, Site Safety chief executive Brett Murray said.
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“It’s certainly not easier than level 3, it’s still quite restrictive in the sense that risk exposure and good hygiene standards and tracking and tracing and all of that is still there,” he said.
Site Safe has been working with industry and government to update existing building protocols.
Fundamentally, when work cannot be performed at level three if it means a distance of less than 1 meter between workers, it can be performed at level 2 as long as it complies with safety regulations.
“Under level 3, if you can’t do a job and keep a distance of 1 meter, don’t do it. [Under level 2], you must have a good reason why you need to continue that job and then put the appropriate controls in place to manage it. “
In situations where work could only be done less than 1 meter away, for example, the installation of air conditioning systems, then it had to be done safely and in consultation with workers.
That could mean additional PPE equipment, or a physical barrier, and hygiene rules had to be strictly followed. Work duration was also an issue.
“It is about seeing what is practical and not being totally unrealistic, but it is about setting those expectations that you should assess, and certainly consulting with the people doing the work who may be anxious about it,” Murray said.
“It will certainly help productivity. I think work will still need to be planned, because there may be situations where workers are not comfortable.”
“There should be much more discussion with workers on how this work will be done and how it will be managed to minimize risk.”
Other key changes would include more people able to access the sites, and a simplified health statement and login process. Mental health and wellness would also be highlighted.
“A lot of things, particularly regarding hygiene and records, will already be in place. I think the main difference will be that physical distancing, and there is a little bit of extra work around accessing the site, additional people coming in to the site, but that’s pretty easy to manage. “
The frequency and amount of cleaning would not decrease, and could in fact increase in some places if more people were to work.
“We have been very encouraged by the comments we have received from members about how well people are doing. There will always be people who exceed those limits, but I think people generally want to do the right thing.”
“Yes, there is a loss of productivity … but I think everyone is aware that they are not only risking themselves, but the contact with others who are risking, families, grandparents, so I think it increases the awareness of people in general”. “
