The Impact of the New Normal to the Construction Industry
The COVID-19 pandemic will go down in history as the single event that made a massive impact on all industries across the globe. The construction industry is among those heavily (and badly) affected by the pandemic. The pandemic’s effect on the market and the workforce was devastating at the beginning: ongoing projects, regardless of scale or client, were stalled by local ordinances and by construction firms themselves. Even when the government allowed their continued operation, many construction firms faced public pressure to close down and offer some support for their workers. By the end of March 2020, 65 per cent of the UK’s construction value had shut down.
By June, many construction sites had reopened, and furloughed workers were able to get back to work. It was good news: the number of furloughed construction workers had gone down from 951,000 in April to 679,600 in May.
The re-opening of construction sites did not herald a return to normal, however, as operations are subject to the COVID-19 prevention guidelines of the Construction Leadership Council (CLC) and the UK Government. Considering the uncertainty on when vaccines will become commercially available and whether the virus will ever be eliminated, we can assume that the new SOPs we have today will be the norm in the future.
The New Normal Practices in Construction
The following are currently practised in construction sites in the UK (and may continue after the pandemic):
- Making PPE mandatory
Personal protective equipment or PPE minimises a worker’s exposure to hazards in the workplace. Construction workers have a distinctive set of protective gear — hard hats. Thanks to the pandemic, protective face masks are now part of the basic workwear for UK construction workers. According to the World Health Organization (WHO) and various health authorities around the globe, face masks are effective at reducing transmission of the COVID-19 virus.
- Heightened cleanliness and hygiene standards
Like most viruses, COVID-19 is biologically vulnerable to disinfectants and soap. The virus, however, is easily and quickly transmitted via droplets of mucus that an infected individual expels when sneezing or coughing. To mitigate the spread of COVID-19 in construction sites, regular and thorough disinfection of the site, equipment, tools, vehicles, machines and other materials workers handle.
- On-site social distancing
A critical entry in the guidelines issued by the UK Government for construction and other outdoor work was about social distancing. The guideline recommended a one- to two-metre distance between employees; and if that’s not possible, employers must implement other measures like erect protective barriers to separate employees who must stay side-by-side or back-to-back as they work.
- Staggering break times.
To comply with the social distancing guideline, shift managers must stagger workers’ schedules so that they don’t go on break all at once. Staggering break periods ensures that only a fraction of the site’s population will be on break rooms and public areas on the site.
More pandemic-related SOPs are now mandatory in construction sites. Collectively, they have a wider-scale impact on projects:
- Longer timelines, delays on ongoing projects and extended completion dates
- Higher budget allocation for PPEs, hygiene protocols and assistance for testing among workers
- Adoption of modular construction and prefabrication methods
- Recalibrations in supply chain routes and partners
The UK construction industry will continue to face challenges in light of the uncertainty around COVID-19. Construction companies must adapt to the new normal as quickly as possible to prevent devastating scenarios like on-site transmission or receiving sanctions for non-compliance with prevention guidelines.
Bryson can help you provide protective workwear for your on-site workers. We have a large stock of various PPE and protective wear for construction workers, including face masks and eye protection.
Browse our website and contact us if you have questions about availability, bulk order offers and freebies. You may call 020 8660 9119 or email sales@bryson.co.uk.