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MATTRESS ON THE FLOOR: At this construction site in eastern Norway, three workers were accommodated in a room within the construction site. They slept on mattresses on the floor and the bathroom only had a plastic curtain. This inspection was carried out in the first half of February and the Norwegian Labor Inspection Authority decided to stop it. Photo: Arbeidstilsynet
After the New Year, the Norwegian Labor Inspection Authority decided to “arrest” 28 construction companies as a result of violations of infection control rules. Almost all the decisions related to the accommodation of foreign workers.
The Norwegian Labor Inspection Authority has decided to “stop the imminent danger” at a total of 39 companies due to infection control breaches so far in 2021.
28 of the cases are in the construction industry, according to figures from the Norwegian Labor Inspection Authority, to which VG has had access.
The reason for 24 of these decisions was a violation of accommodation regulations.
In February alone, the Norwegian Labor Inspection Authority decided to halt 16 construction activities. Of these, 14 had violated the housing rules.
– All violations of infection control rules are serious because the infection can spread very quickly. We are very concerned about the serious infringements we see in some companies, says Trude Vollheim, director of VG’s Norwegian Labor Inspection Authority.
Trude Vollheim, Director of the Norwegian Labor Inspection Authority. Photo: Arbeidstilsynet
According to Vollheim, the reason why there are multiple decisions to stop construction is complex.
– There is a lot of labor immigration in this industry. Another reason may be that there is high mobility on construction sites and accommodation in this industry. When a construction project is completed, work begins on new construction sites. Therefore, there is more use of temporary accommodation in building and construction than in industries with more stationary workplaces, Vollheim tells VG.
– What are the most serious cases of housing rule violations that you have seen?
– We have discovered cases in which workers are housed in buildings to be rehabilitated. Several of them live in the same room and do not have the necessary facilities to be in charge of infection control. Living on a construction site is unworthy in and of itself and also not robust in terms of infection control.
THE MATTRESS AS A TABLE: At this construction site in eastern Norway, three workers were accommodated in a room within the construction site. They slept on mattresses on the floor, which they covered with plastic during the day to use as a table. The photo was taken in the first half of February. Photo: Arbeidstilsynet
The Norwegian Labor Inspection Authority has carried out a total of 2,651 crown inspections after the New Year.
In more than a third, 34 percent, violations of infection control regulations have been revealed.
836 of the inspections have been carried out in the construction industry, which is the industry that the Norwegian Labor Inspection Authority has visited the most times. In this case, at least one infection control violation has been revealed in a total of 30 percent of inspections.
Read also: Infection control breaches revealed in nearly one in three construction industry inspections.
In February, 371 inspections were carried out in construction companies. Violations of infection control rules were later discovered in 33 percent of them.
QUARANTINE: A work team of four people stayed in this house first. When these four finished the quarantine, four new workers were housed in the same house and worked during the quarantine period. This audit was also carried out in the first part of February. Photo: Arbeidstilsynet
Of the total of 39 decisions to stop working totally or partially in Norwegian companies, accommodation was the reason in the vast majority of cases:
- 30 decisions to stop were due to violations of housing regulations.
- Nine were due to breaches in the care of the infection control company, more specifically mapping and risk assessment, measures and plans, and / or routines.
Since February 22, the government toughened quarantine rules for workers. Employers offering accommodation to foreign workers must have their place of residence approved by the Norwegian Labor Inspection Authority in advance.
Various shoots since New Year
Since the New Year, there have been several cases of major outbreaks at construction sites in Drammen, Oslo and Bergen.
On Thursday, February 25, it became known that 33 people had been infected in connection with an infection outbreak at the construction site of the Stordalen hotel on Solli plass in central Oslo.
By Monday, March 1, the number had risen to around 50.
On Friday February 26, 18 people were infected in connection with an outbreak of infection at a construction site in the “Mills neighborhood” on Grünerløkka in central Oslo.
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Infected construction site remains open: – Fear the entire industry will eventually shut down
Enforce the rules in Oslo
On Sunday afternoon, the city of Oslo announced strict measures to curb the growing trend of infection.
Among the new rules that will go into effect tomorrow, Tuesday, March 2, are stricter rules for infection control at construction sites:
– In order to obtain infection control at construction sites, the municipality of Oslo introduces its own regulatory rules with clear rules for infection control at construction sites. Intentional or grossly negligent violation of infection control rules at construction sites should be punishable by imprisonment for up to six months. The new rules will be combined with targeted and reinforced testing at construction sites, City Councilman Raymond Johansen said during the press conference.
