Here are resources, guidelines and best practices shared by IAAP member companies, industry partners, and governmental agencies to help your company maintain a safe workplace. Each individual company will need to evaluate these practices in regards to its own operation and determine which items to implement.
COVID-19 Recommended Best Practices for Highway Construction Worksites (Jobsite/Office/Material Production Site)
The following summary of best practices have been developed from various sources to assist association members in managing their worksites to ensure the continued maintenance and construction of essential Illinois transportation infrastructure. This summary is intended to be used as a resource only, and not to be relied upon as legal or official guidance. Individual companies are encouraged to consult with legal, safety, insurance, labor, and HR professionals to determine the appropriate practices for their respective operations.
Communicate key Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommendations and worksite procedures to staff, tradespeople, inspectors, and vendors:
Discuss procedures with project Owner as part of pre-construction meeting including protocol if anyone who has been on the worksite tests positive for COVID-19.
All employees/vendors should be asked COVID-19 screening questions prior to entering the worksite. If they answer “yes” to any, they should be asked to leave the worksite immediately.
Have you, or anyone you have had close contact with, been in contact with a person that has tested positive for COVID-19?
Have you, or anyone you have had close contact with, been in contact with a person that is in the process of being tested for COVID-19?
Have you, or anyone you have had close contact with, traveled outside of the U.S. within the last two weeks?
Have you been medically directed to self-quarantine due to possible exposure to COVID-19?
Are you having trouble breathing or have you had flu-like symptoms within the past 48 hours, including: fever, cough, shortness of breath, sore throat, runny/stuffy nose, body aches, chills, or fatigue?
Manage sick employees to ensure any illness is not spread to other workers.
Actively encourage sick employees to stay home. It is critical that individuals NOT report to work while they are experiencing illness symptoms such as fever, cough, shortness of breath, sore throat, runny/stuffy nose, body aches, chills, or fatigue. Individuals should seek medical attention if they develop these symptoms.
Employees who have symptoms of acute respiratory illness are recommended to stay home and not return to work until they are free of fever (100.4° F [38.0° C] or greater using an oral thermometer), signs of a fever, and any other symptoms for at least 24 hours, without the use of fever-reducing or other symptom-altering medicines (e.g. cough suppressants).
CDC recommends to immediately separate and send home employees who appear to have acute respiratory illness symptoms (i.e. cough, shortness of breath) upon arrival to work or become sick during the day.
Communicate your company’s Human Resources practices for managing sick time related to COVID-19.
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
Do not share PPE.
Ensure used PPE is disposed of properly.
Sanitize reusable PPE per manufacturer’s recommendation prior to each use.
Utilize disposable gloves where appropriate; instruct workers to wash hands after removing gloves.
Tools, Supplies, Equipment
Do not share hand tools (shovels, floats, loots, hand saws, etc.)
Disinfect reusable supplies before and after use.
Operators use the same piece of equipment all day.
Clean surfaces of construction equipment (pavers, end loader, rollers, cranes, etc.) and service/fleet vehicles including steering wheel, gear shift, instrument panels, etc. at beginning and end of shifts. Use aerosol sanitizers inside closed cabs.
For documents requiring paper copies or wet signatures, consider drop boxes or other non-contact means to transfer paperwork between Contractor and Owner.
Use e-ticketing for truck weight tickets.
Social Distancing
Restricting access to confined areas (field office, control room, etc) to only essential staff needed to operate.
If possible, stagger work hours to avoid everyone arriving and leaving at the same time.
Do not congregate in lunch areas – eat separately.
Do not use a common water cooler. Use individual bottles or personal cooler.
If possible, keep operations separate. Do not stack trades/subcontractors.
Discourage carpooling to worksite
When possible, perform all meetings online or via conference call. Do not host large group meetings - CDC defines large group as 10+ people.
When possible, keep a 6 foot distance between people.
When possible, allow non-essential personnel to work from home to limit the number of people at a worksite.
Non-contact greetings only. Discourage hand-shaking and other contact greetings.
Promote good hygiene.
Provide hand sanitizing stations. If soap and water is not available, use alcohol-based (60 – 95%) hand sanitizer.
Encourage people to cover mouth and nose with a tissue when you cough or sneeze or use the inside of elbow. Throw used tissues in the trash.
Discourage touching eyes, nose and mouth.
Provide additional port-a-potties.
Provide routine environmental cleaning (doorknobs, keyboards, counters, and other surfaces).
Utilize disposable hand towels and no-touch trash receptacles. Identify specific locations and practices for daily trash.
Request additional/increased sanitation (disinfecting) of portable toilets.
Avoid cleaning techniques, such as using pressurized air or water sprays that may result in the generation of bioaerosols.
Best Management Practices, Resources & Questions for Aggregate and Cement Operations during the COVID-19 Crisis [provided by NSSGA ~ download HERE]
1. Meetings & Communications • Designate a COVID-19 leadership team; have that team communicate regularly (daily) at a set time to disseminate information and updates to senior leadership. Consider having representatives from various company departments on this team (e.g. HR, Finance, Operations, etc). • Send communications via email (or app) to employees; include their personal emails and try to reach workers’ families. • Use conference call, virtual meeting, and other technology whenever possible (e.g. Skype, Zoom, Microsoft Teams and others). • Provide best practices and regular communications to entire workforce; include Q&A and guidance based around various scenarios. • Consider having the company President/CEO address the workforce and answer questions to share information and also relieve some anxiety. • Be careful talking about others who may or may not be sick and spreading rumors.
2. Workforce – General • Run a skeleton crew and operate only essential functions to keep business going. • Have those who can work remotely work from home. • Develop a back-up schedule in case someone gets sick. • Practice correct social distancing (6’ minimum). • Stop all non-essential travel, including between regional operations. • Remind employees that they must be competent to mix their own chemicals; also remind employees to properly label all containers. • Have anyone “on call” stay home until needed, rather than onsite. • Have gloves available for anyone who has to sign documents or share common tools.
3. Supplies • Maintain an inventory of PPE and cleaning products, as available (e.g. dust masks, respirators, gloves, etc.) • Consider potential supply chain issues. E.g., as commercial air travel decreases, cargo air will become a more common transportation method, which takes longer. • Acquire bulk supplies (e.g. cleaning supplies) and share between operations within the company.
4. Operations • Define “essential” and “nonessential” tasks clearly and early; focus on what needs to be done and postpone work that can be done later. • Eliminate ride sharing; enforce a one person per vehicle policy. • Keep workers operating the same vehicles; when they switch between employees, provide them with a sanitizing kit. • Isolate various areas of the plant (e.g., scale office, control room, etc.) and keep them locked. • Have employees go straight to their equipment in the morning; do not gather. • Designate one person to clock people in and out. • Stagger shift schedules to eliminate overlap and reduce exposure risks. i. Segregate areas designated for these shifts (e.g. break areas). • Practice “self-service” as much as possible at the scale house. • Have a plan for a controlled shut down; if it happens, you want to be ready. • Deliver safety messages over the radio; make sure the radio channels stay clear so important notices can come through. • Reduce the amount of task training/cross training needed at the facility as much as possible by devoting previously tasked trained employees to the necessary task(s) being conducted; when training is conducted, do so from a distance if still effective and your training plans allow. • Postpone Annual Refresher Training (MSHA is giving a 30-day grace period); additionally, look through the last 12 months of safety records to identify acceptable and compliant training that may count towards the required 8 hours. Ensure subjects and sessions are compliant with Part 46 and Part 48 training plans. • Have a plan in place for training that can be implemented quickly once operations return to normal and contact your field/district office, so they are up to date. • Ask that employees refrain from congregating in the break room. Look to designate outside “break rooms” with picnic tables or chairs.
5. Cleaning & Sanitization • Hire a company to do a deep cleaning of facilities or identify a company capable of performing this service. • Implement a regular cleaning policy/schedule of offices, common areas, break rooms, QC labs, control rooms, scale house, etc. – consider three times daily. • Consider adding more porta-potties and hand cleaning stations around the plant. • Clean and sanitize everything: pens, credit cards, candy bowls, etc. • Do not accept cash payments. • At a minimum, follow CDC guidelines for cleaning and disinfecting.
6. Employee Wellbeing, Sick Pay & Community • Encourage employees to utilize Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs). • Publish directions and encourage employees to utilize on-line doctor’s office visits to avoid exposure at the doctor’s office and convenience. • For those nervous about coming to work due to COVID-19 concerns, consider giving that employee a day to think about it and then have a conversation. • If an employee tests positive or is symptomatic, must stay home due to childcare, is waiting for test results, etc. consider providing pay continuation (up to 40 hours) no questions asked or implement a compliant reimbursement program – be sure to take into account all relevant local and federal laws and regulations, as these are changing and updating rapidly. • Consider asking senior staff to voluntarily put their sick time into a “bucket” for hourly employees, should the need arise. • Consider donating extra supplies to local hospitals and/or first responders. • Consider offering outside counseling for employees – e.g. a 24-hour hotline with professionals who have COVID-19 experience.
7. Testing, Quarantine, and Sick Employees • Have a quarantine protocol in place for those who show symptoms or have been in contact with someone who has tested positive. • Similarly, have a protocol for those who have been to high/low risk countries. • Consider providing 14 days of pay for an employee who is exposed to COVID-19 – be sure to take into account all relevant local and federal laws and regulations as these are changing and updating rapidly.
8. Non-Employees Onsite & Contractors • Do not allow any visitors unless business-essential (or with VP approval). • Require contractors to provide a letter daily stating none have tested positive • Apply the same approach with agencies (e.g. MSHA/EPA) as you do with regular employees – if you ask basic quarantine questions or take temperatures ask them to do the same. • Post signs outside property indicating that your operation is following CDC guidance.
9. External Guidance & Employer Guidance • Follow CDC guidelines – including social distancing and not gathering in groups. • Follow OSHA guidelines. • Develop a “one stop shop” website for employees where they can get company and general information regarding COVID-19. • Contact your governor and state representatives to voice your concerns and remind them we are a critical and essential industry. Here is a link to NSSGA’s grassroots tool. • When MSHA inspectors are onsite, educate them about social distancing, what your operation is doing to address COVID-19, and ask them to self-declare their COVID- 19 status. For any issues, reach out to the district manager.
Resources for Operators and Businesses During the COVID-19 Crisis [courtesy of NSSGA and other entities]
Essential Critical Infrastructure Workers Guidance Version 4.0 provides guidance on how jurisdictions and critical infrastructure owners can use the list to assist in prioritizing the ability of essential workers to work safely while supporting ongoing infrastructure operations across the nation. Learn more HERE.
Due to the limited supply of N95 respirators to combat the COVID-19 pandemic, OSHA has released interim guidance related to employer’s use of N95 respirators, other alternative classes of respirators, and extended use or reuse of N95s under specified conditions. Employers are directed to reassess engineering controls, work practices, and administrative controls to identify opportunities to decrease the need for N95 respirators. This guidance is intended to be time-limited to the current public health crisis. For complete information on enforcement guidance read OSHA’s Enforcement Guidance for Respiratory Protection.
Additional COVID-19 Related Resources
CDC Recommendation Regarding the Use of Cloth Face Coverings – Guidance directly from the CDC based on new evidence about the spread of COVID-19 and recommendations to wear a cloth face covering particularly in areas of significant community-based transmission.
CDC Guidelines on Cleaning and Disinfecting Your Facility – Specific guidance on cleaning and disinfecting various surfaces and items including soft surfaces, electronics, and laundry. Also includes guidance on cleaning and disinfecting your facility if someone is sick.
GOVERNMENT WEBSITES
Center for Disease Control (CDC)
Coronavirus (COVID-19) Main Webpage – An abundance of resources. If an employee or family member feels sick, this is a great place to start. Includes a map of confirmed cases, latest updates, resources on travel, schools & childcare, businesses & employers, and community & faith-based organizations. There is also information on how to protect yourself, what to do if you feel sick, what the symptoms of COVID-19 are, how to prepare your family, and resources for older adults and those with medical conditions.
Occupational Health & Safety Administration (OSHA)
OSHA Guidance on Preparing Workplaces for COVID-19 – Developed in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to help employers respond in the event of coronavirus in the workplace.
COVID-19 Webpage – Provides infection prevention information specifically for employers and workers.
Department of Labor
Coronavirus Resources – A landing page of links, resources, and information on the workplace during the COVID-19 crisis. *Includes a small section on “Flexibilities for Mine Operators”
GOVERNMENT AND REGULATORY INFORMATION & RESOURCES
NSSGA’s Grassroots Campaigns – It is imperative that policymakers hear from you about issues that are impacting the industry. Here you’ll find advocacy tools that allow you to influence policymakers on policies that will affect your business – including COVID-19. Help by urging your governor to declare the construction industry an essential service.
MultiState COVID-19 Policy Tracker – A collection of state and local government resources and responses to COVID-19 that help keep you updated on what is going on in your local area. Information for each state includes link to health department’s website, key contacts, state of emergency documents, executive orders, session changes/capitol closures, travel restriction & information, official social media sources, and the tracker’s last update.
Sedgwick Coronavirus Update: Guidance for Casualty Clients – Further information on workers compensation claims, including business continuity planning, workers’ comp best practice guidelines, and general liability and employers’ liability best practice guidelines.
https://constructionsolutions.ca/ A central collection of fact sheets, resources, posters, toolbox talks & handouts, program templates, etc.