2020
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2021
WISCONSIN CONSTRUCTION RESPONSE TO COVID-19 - (3/20/2020)
WISCONSIN’S CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY TO CONTINUE WORK, PROGRESS ON PROJECTS STATEWIDE
CLICK HERE to download the official press release (text is below)
Safeguards announced for jobsites through duration of COVID-19 outbreak
(Madison, WI) — The Wisconsin construction industry is committed to the health, safety and welfare of our workforce and the public. Our respective organizations represent labor and management in the Wisconsin construction industry. The purpose of this communication is to describe the specific mitigation strategies that our members – the Wisconsin construction industry employers and their skilled workforce – are taking to combat the COVID-19 outbreak.
The following strategies, which are derived from CDC and OSHA workplace recommendations, have been and are being implemented on our construction industry jobsites across the state. Our organizations are promoting the universal implementation of these measures to safeguard Wisconsin construction industry jobsites through the duration of the COVID-19 outbreak.
Hand-washing and other hygiene measures are key to preventing the spread of viruses, including COVID-19. The following measures are being taken across Wisconsin’s construction industry:
- Worker education – through specific communications– of the importance of frequent handwashing, hand hygiene, cough and sneeze etiquette, and staying home when sick. All employees must carefully observe these requirements.
- Careful attention to jobsite toilet and hand cleaning facilities. All employers must ensure that these facilities are in clean, working order and stocked with soap and/or hand sanitizer.
- Jobsite and equipment cleanliness. Jobsites must be kept clean, with frequent cleaning of any frequently touched surfaces on the site. Any tools or equipment that might be shared by workers must be cleaned before and after use.
Construction jobsites are not densely populated work areas. Regardless, the following social distancing measures are also being taken across our industry:
- Workers are being instructed to observe a minimum distance of six (6) feet between individuals to increase physical space between workers at the worksite. This includes pre-work and post-work events of all kinds.
- Construction work in enclosed or partially enclosed spaces will have no more than 10 people working in any one area.
- Wearing gloves is being encouraged.
- Employers may use thermal imaging equipment or laser thermometers to test employees for fevers. Anyone testing high will be sent home.
- Workers who are experiencing flu-like symptoms are asked to stay home.
- Employers are modifying their jobsite communications, planning, and schedules to shrink or eliminate group gatherings. This includes changes to, or the elimination of, pre-job conferences, communal break locations, and any other activity that would bring a group of people together on the jobsite. Policies for material deliveries and other third-party jobsite visits are being altered. Employers are simultaneously implementing new strategies to ensure ongoing, successful jobsite communications.
These and other measures – which include remote work directives in office settings – have the full support of labor and management. We will continue to support and take the steps necessary to protect the health, safety and welfare of our workforce and the public.
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