Governor Tom Wolf and Secretary of Health Rachel Levine have announced that, beginning May 1, 2020, all businesses in the construction industry, including those in new construction, renovation, and repair, as well as land subdivision and design-related field activities, are permitted to resume operations, provided in-person operations adhere to new guidance issued by the Commonwealth.
All businesses and employees in the construction industry must follow the Orders of the Secretary of Health regarding business safety and building safety measures, including that every person present at a work site must wear masks or face coverings.
All construction projects must maintain proper social distancing (6-foot minimum) across the site at all times (unless safety requires deviation), provide hand wash stations at appropriate locations on the site, and implement cleaning or sanitizing protocols on the site.
Businesses should stagger shifts, breaks, work areas and/or stacking of trades to minimize workers on site. Additionally, businesses should establish protocols for addressing COVID-19 concerns within the workforce and employ jobsite screening for workers, including a plan if it is discovered that the business has been exposed to a person who is a probable or confirmed case of COVID-19.
Businesses must identify a Pandemic Safety Officer or Officers to ensure compliance with the guidance.
The Commonwealth is also placing limitations on the number of people present on a job site based on the type of construction. Residential projects (detached one-family and two-family dwellings and townhouses) are limited to four (4) people on site.
For non-residential or commercial projects (which includes multifamily and student housing), the number of people permitted on enclosed portions of a project depends on the size of the project. A written safety plan is also recommended for these projects.
This is a general summary of the guidance applicable to all construction activities in the Commonwealth. Municipalities are permitted to enact more stringent requirements than those in the Commonwealth’s guidance. We anticipate that the City of Philadelphia may issue further guidance on construction projects within its boundaries.
