The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted all sectors around the globe. The unprecedented impact of the large-scale lockdowns and stay-at-home orders made navigation through these challenging situations even more difficult.
Be it the supply chain or business trades; COVID-19 took a toll on all sectors in one way or another. Even the most essential sectors like construction ceased all ongoing projects to limit the spread of the virus.
However, now the world has realized that shutting down all the sectors is not the best solution to end the pandemic. As per professional economists, lockdowns are not sustainable and leave a massive impact on the economy. For that reason, sectors must revive while adopting the new normal given by the consequences of the pandemic.
The construction sector is also facing a transition. During lockdowns, few areas like critical and essential infrastructure development were exempt from the pandemic restrictions, and this is where the construction sector prevailed compared to others.
With an ongoing pandemic, standard SOPs are mandatory, and the construction sector is no exception. A construction company must follow these SOPs to ensure the safety of its crew. Following are some tips.
1. ESTABLISH BACKUP AND ESSENTIALS FOR WORKERS
Construction sites must establish backup plans and amenities for the workers. One of the top essentials for construction workers is temporary lodging with amenities for their peaceful stay.
For instance, if your construction project is around Reagan County, type in motels in Big Lake TX to find excellent workforce lodging ready to be booked on short notice.
It is important to note that finding lodging services near the site helps the workforce commute to and from the construction site.
As a construction site manager, you must organize all these essentials before starting the project. For that instance, communication with the equipment and material suppliers will help meet the delivery dates and project deadlines.
Above all, be prepared for the uncertain. Even with all the precautionary measures in place, there still might be a chance that someone from the team will become ill. In this case, having a plan B will save you a lot of hassle in continuing the project.
2. ENSURE COMMUNICATION
One of the top aspects of getting your construction projects going is communication. You will have to communicate more often with your team, consultants, and owners.
Moreover, you must encourage the workers and staff to get their vaccination jabs if they haven’t. Communication will play a critical role in advocating for these individuals for safety and effectiveness during the pandemic.
Government authorities are also pushing rules and guidelines to allow the employees to resume their jobs only if they’re fully vaccinated.
Meanwhile, during a pandemic, you can use phone calls, video conferencing, text messages, and even intercoms to connect with the crew for collaboration. Not just that, you can employ both written communication aspects like graphics posters around the construction site.
These posters will help transmit the messages for duties to curb the spread and keep everyone safe on the site.
3. BUILD A CULTURE TO ADAPT TO NEW NORMAL
Construction site culture is always critical for a successful project. Meanwhile, with the pandemic still prevalent globally, maintaining health and safety is extremely important. Remember, you are not alone in this; subcontractors, clients, and your team must also make themselves fit for this uncertain time.
COVID-19 has emerged as the latest challenge for construction sites, but incorporating essential elements can help in these projects going without any break. Building a workplace culture centered around safety and cleanliness helps create a trustworthy environment that fosters care and protection for everyone.
With over a year and a half into the pandemic, we are now well aware of the pattern of the disease spread in the community. Training your workforce for these patterns and pandemic concepts will benefit your project to thrive under the crisis.
The construction team must be safety-conscious for their well-being as well as for their associates. For instance, if any workers are not well enough to work, they can stay at their lodges.
Moreover, if any personnel is infected with COVID-19, they must report to the associates and follow the quarantine procedure. As a leader, you must communicate with everyone in the field to curb the exposure to the team.
4. MONITOR COMPLIANCE WITH THE MEASURES
Along with the communication for encouragement, your duties also involve monitoring the compliance of social distancing and other safety measures. Managing a team of workers while mandating site-wise communication is indeed challenging during the pandemic.
But it is worth noting that these safety measures are crucial to recovering from the setbacks caused by the pandemic. Communication plays a pivotal role in implementing rules regarding social distancing and wearing masks.
Even though these are universal rules, some people ignore them, so it is the management’s responsibility to enforce them for the safety of others on the construction site.
Additionally, government authorities have also released a set of guidelines for implementing SOPs on construction sites. Rules allow projects with specific schedules that will not involve people, thus reducing the risk of disease exposure. This means that construction managers can observe compliance in a limited group of individuals while maintaining the safety procedures for the team.
If rules aren’t followed, a contingency plan must be ready to be implemented at short notice.
FINAL WORDS
COVID-19 might seem like a big challenge for the construction sector, but that doesn’t mean it will limit ongoing projects. With a team that follows all the rules and regulations of the management, finishing long-term projects will be possible again.
Construction companies must be serious about enforcing some ground rules when it comes to safety. In a world where the ongoing pandemic is still causing problems, every worker must follow the rules and regulations to prevent the spread of the virus.
The tips mentioned above can help in successfully executing a construction project plan without breaks while maintaining SOPs issued by the health authorities to curb the spread of the virus.