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Inslee announces plan to allow construction projects previously underway to be completed as long as safety measures are met. https://medium.com/wagovernor/inslee-announces-plan-to-allow-construction-projects-previously-underway-to-be-completed-b0d7139455
Phase 1 Construction Restart
COVID-19 Job Site Requirements
Phase 1: Low-risk construction work resumes.
Any existing construction projects complying with the points below may resume only those work activities that do not require workers to be closer than six-feet together. If a work activity requires workers to be closer than six-feet, it is not considered low-risk and is not authorized. Adherence to the physical distancing requirement and the health and safety points below will be strictly enforced.
Prior to recommencing work all contractors are required to develop and post at each job site a comprehensive COVID-19 exposure control, mitigation, and recovery plan. The plan must include policies regarding the following control measures: PPE utilization; on-site social distancing; hygiene; sanitation; symptom monitoring; incident reporting; site decontamination procedures; COVID-19 safety training; exposure response procedures; and a post-exposure incident project wide recovery plan. A copy of the plan must be available on each job site during any construction activities and available for inspection by state and local authorities. Failure to meet posting requirements will result in sanctions, including the job being shut down.
All Contractors are required to post at each job site written notice to employees, subcontractors and government officials the Phase 1 work that will be performed at that job site and signed commitment to adhere to the requirements listed in this document.
All contractors have a general obligation to keep a safe and healthy worksite in accordance with state and federal law. Failure to follow these requirements will be considered a violation of these duties and be penalized accordingly. Under RCW 49.17.060, “each employer shall furnish to each of their employees a place of employment free from recognized hazards that are causing or likely to cause serious injury or death to his or her employees and shall comply with the rules, regulations, and orders promulgated under this chapter.” The Washington State Department of Labor & Industries’ Division of Occupational Safety and Health (DOSH) is responsible for workplace safety and health, including inspections and enforcement, consultation, technical assistance, training, education and grants.
All contractors are also required to comply with the following COVID-19 worksite-specific safety practices, as outlined in Gov. Jay Inslee’s “Stay Home, Stay Healthy” Proclamation 20-25, and in accordance with the Washington State Department of Labor & Industries General Coronavirus Prevention Under Stay Home-Stay Healthy Order (DOSH Directive 1.70: https://www.lni.wa.gov/safety-health/safety-rules/enforcement-policies/DD170.pdf) and the Washington State Department of Health Workplace and Employer Resources & Recommendations at https://www.doh.wa.gov/Coronavirus/workplace:
COVID-19 Site Supervisor
1. A site-specific COVID-19 Supervisor shall be designated by the contractor at every job site to monitor the health of employees and enforce the COVID-19 job site safety plan. A designated COVID-19 Supervisor must be present at all times during construction activities, except on single-family residential job sites with 6 or fewer people on the site.
COVID-19 Safety Training
2. A Safety Stand-Down/toolbox talk/tailgate training must be conducted on all job sites on the first day of returning to work, and weekly thereafter, to explain the protective measures in place for all workers. Social distancing must be maintained at all gatherings.
3. Attendance will be communicated verbally and the trainer will sign in each attendee.
4. COVID-19 safety requirements shall be visibly posted on each jobsite.
Social Distancing
5. Social distancing of at least 6 feet of separation must be maintained by every person on the worksite at all times.
6. Gatherings of any size must be precluded by taking breaks and lunch in shifts. Any time two or more persons must meet, ensure minimum 6 feet of separation.
7. Identify “choke points” and “high-risk areas” on job sites where workers typically congregate and control them so social distancing is always maintained.
8. Minimize interactions when picking up or delivering equipment or materials, ensure minimum 6-foot separation.
9. To the extent practical allow only one trade/subcontractor at a time on a jobsite and maintain 6-foot separation social distancing for each member of that trade. If more than one trade/subcontractor must be on the job to complete the job then at a minimum all trades and subcontractors must maintain social distancing policies in accordance with this guidance.
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) – Employer Provided
10. Provide personal protective equipment (PPE) such as gloves, goggles, face shields and face masks as appropriate, or required, for the activity being performed.
11. Masks, in accordance with Washington Department of Health guidelines, or as required by Washington Department of Labor & Industries (L&I) safety rules, must be worn at all times by every employee on the worksite.
12. Eye protection must be worn at all times by every employee while on worksite.
13. Gloves must be worn at all times by every employee while on worksite. The type of glove worn should be appropriate to the task. If gloves are not typically required for the task, then any type of glove is acceptable, including latex gloves.
14. If appropriate PPE cannot be provided, the worksite must be shut down.
Sanitation and Cleanliness
15. Soap and running water shall be abundantly provided on all job sites for frequent handwashing. Workers should be encouraged to leave their workstations to wash their hands regularly, before and after going to the bathroom, before and after eating and after coughing, sneezing or blowing their nose.
16. When running water is not available, portable washing stations, with soap, are required, per WAC 296-155-140 2(a) – (f). Alcohol-based hand sanitizers with greater than 60% ethanol or 70% isopropanol can also be used, but are not a replacement for the water requirement.
17. Post, in areas visible to all workers, required hygienic practices, including not to touch face with unwashed hands or with gloves; washing hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds; use hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol; cleaning and disinfecting frequently touched objects and surfaces such as workstations, keyboards, telephones, handrails, machines, shared tools, elevator control buttons, and doorknobs; covering the mouth and nose when coughing or sneezing as well as other hygienic recommendations by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC).
18. Make disinfectants available to workers throughout the worksite and ensure cleaning supplies are frequently replenished.
19. Frequently clean and disinfect high-touch surfaces on job sites and in offices, such as shared tools, machines, vehicles and other equipment, handrails, doorknobs, and portable toilets. If these areas cannot be cleaned and disinfected frequently, the jobsite shall be shut down until such measures can be achieved and maintained.
20. When the worksite is an occupied home, workers should sanitize work areas upon arrival, throughout the workday and immediately before they leave, and occupants should keep a personal distance of at least 10 feet.
21. If an employee reports feeling sick and goes home, the area where that person worked should be immediately disinfected.
Employee Health/Symptoms
22. Create policies which encourage workers to stay home or leave the worksite when feeling sick or when they have been in close contact with a confirmed positive case. If they develop symptoms of acute respiratory illness, they must seek medical attention and inform their employer.
23. Have employees inform their supervisors if they have a sick family member at home with COVID-19. If an employee has a family member sick with COVID-19, that employee must follow the isolation/quarantine requirements as established by the State Department of Health.
24. Screen all workers at the beginning of their shift by taking their temperature and asking them if they have a fever, cough, shortness of breath, fatigue, muscle aches, or new loss of taste or smell. Thermometers used shall be ‘no touch’ or ‘no contact’ to the greatest extent possible. If a ‘no touch’ or ‘no contact’ thermometer is not available, the thermometer must be properly sanitized between each use. Any worker with a temperature of 100.4°F or higher is considered to have a fever and must be sent home.
25. Instruct workers to report to their supervisor if they develop symptoms of COVID-19 (e.g., fever, cough, shortness of breath, fatigue, muscle aches, or new loss of taste or smell). If symptoms develop during a shift, the worker should be immediately sent home. If symptoms develop while the worker is not working, the worker should not return to work until they have been evaluated by a healthcare provider.
26. Failure of employees to comply will result in employees being sent home during the emergency actions.
27. Employees who do not believe it is safe to work shall be allowed to remove themselves from the worksite and employers must follow the expanded family and medical leave requirements included in the Families First Coronavirus Response Act or allow the worker to use unemployment benefits, paid time off, or any other available form of paid leave available to the worker at the workers discretion.
28. Any worker coming to work on a construction site in Washington from any state that is not contiguous to Washington must self-quarantine for 14 days to become eligible to work on a job site in Washington.
29. If an employee is confirmed to have COVID-19 infection, employers should inform fellow employees of their possible exposure to COVID-19 in the workplace but maintain confidentiality as required by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The employer should instruct fellow employees about how to proceed based on the CDC Public Health Recommendations for Community-Related Exposure.
Job Site Visitors
30. A daily attendance log of all workers and visitors must be kept and retained for at least four weeks. The log must include the name, phone number, and email address of all workers and visitors.
No jobsite may operate until the contractor can meet and maintain all requirements, including providing materials, schedules and equipment required to comply.
These Phase 1 COVID-19 job site safety practices are required as long as the “Stay Home, Stay Healthy” Gubernatorial Proclamation 20-25 is in effect or if adopted as rules by a federal, state or local regulatory agency. All items minus numbers 28 and 30 are subject to enforcement action under L&I’s Division of Occupational Safety and Health (DOSH).
Workplace safety and health complaints may be submitted to the L&I Call Center: (1-800-423-7233) or via e-mail to adag235@lni.wa.gov.
General questions about how to comply with construction safety practices can be submitted to the state’s Business Response Center at
https://app.smartsheet.com/b/form/2562f1caf5814c46a6bf163762263aa5.
All other violations related to Proclamation 20-25 can be submitted via at: https://bit.ly/covid-compliance.
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