How the rise in COVID-19 construction site outbreaks is affecting developers

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By Jim Lamzela

Special to Ontario Construction News

Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, construction workers were already facing severe job-related risks. These spanned from minor injuries to death. However, with the global pandemic running wild, construction workers are at higher risk of contracting the virus than many other professions.

Earlier, in the DataBid blog titled: Increase in Construction Worker Deaths in Ontario, we set out to ask ourselves the following question: “Why are construction workers at higher risk of exposure to COVID-19?.”

The answer is pretty simple. The type of work they do makes it difficult to consistently maintain physical distance. The access to elevators on sites is limited, and lunch and break areas are often enclosed. Most importantly, work is typically done in pairs.

Moreover, there is also the issue of possible confusion regarding whose responsibility it is to communicate with health departments. It is also unclear which information they should report, etc.

Construction sites are closing

Since April 23, Toronto Public Health has closed four construction sites and companies because of COVID-19 outbreaks. The most recent stopped project was the Dundas condo project, which is one year away from completion. The order to cease work came after the outbreak of 11 confirmed COVID-19 cases on the site.

The Globe and Mail stated that, since the beginning of 2021, Toronto Public Health has associated more than 240 cases with construction sites. These are all large-scale developments  by companies such as Menkes Development Inc., Mizrahi Inc., Daniels, Concord Adex, and Fitzrovia Real Estate.

Concrete forming companies and contractors have not been spared the outbreaks either. Thus, day-to-day operations on The Moro Group Inc., Black and McDonald, PCL Construction and EllisDon Corp. construction sites have also been affected.

According to General Contractor Los Angeles, the closing of sites will undoubtedly lead to delays. Even during regular times, developers have to handle unplanned situations and figure out ways to stick to a schedule. Now, it appears that they will have significant problems getting back on track.   Moreover, the chances are that planned projects and those already underway will have no way to meet the deadlines. Still, now that we are battling a global pandemic and people’s lives are at risk, perhaps this isn’t such a big issue.

Some believe that further work restrictions are necessary.

Ashleigh Tuite, an assistant professor at Dalla Lana School of Public Health at the University of Toronto, believes that being stricter regarding what constitutes essential work would dramatically impact the number of confirmed cases. According to her, the spread of the virus would be put under control much more efficiently and effectively should we apply a big more dramatic restrictions concerning non-essential work.

On April 16, the province did bring a set of new emergency orders. These limit some construction work. For example, the government orders have shut down the work on hotels and shopping centers.

However, it is evident that more restrictions are necessary. It seems imperative to better define what non-essential workplaces are. It is practically impossible to stop food manufacturing or close logistic centres. However, some other businesses undoubtedly can refrain from operating during a raging wave of infection, such as gas-can producers and furniture makers.

Reopening has been used as an incentive for vaccinations in some countries

Tuite says that Israel and the United Kingdom are the two examples of countries that put their efforts toward making the people and businesses realize the benefits of vaccination. Namely, the goal is to lower the number of positive test results so much that reopening is possible. They did that by implementing strict lockdowns.

As Global News reports, there is talk to move construction workers toward the top of the priority list for the COVID-19 vaccination in Canada. Since construction workers report tiredness due to long hours and constant efforts to stay safe, such a move would be positive. Moreover, not knowing when to expect the call for vaccination, people working on construction have begun to feel anxious.

Too many contradictory regulations

It appears that considerable confusion arises due to contradictory regulations. In cases of violating the COVID protocols, the Ministry of Labor can issue fines from $700 to $100,000. On top of that, it can also order temporary closures. But at the same time, the current regulations state that workers don’t have to wear masks indoors if they can maintain six feet of distance from each other. Given that COVID-19 is an airborne virus, such a rule does not make much sense. Moreover, no one can deem such a workplace safe.

In many cases, it’s up to companies to implement protective measures that will ensure the safety of their employees. A recent DataBid blog, Latest Technology to Improve Ontario Construction & Safety during the Pandemic states that EllisDon requires its employees to wear both masks and goggles, or even face shields when working indoors. In addition, they have introduced screening tests, which they perform twice per week.

Steve Chaplin, vice-president of health, safety and environment for EllisDon, said the number of tests they do is the reason why their company has been associated with some positive cases on several construction sites. He also underlined that they have worked with Toronto Public Health to close some of their projects.

Have construction workers contracted the virus on construction sites?

While many people who tested positive for the virus are construction workers, we cannot simply imply that they got infected on the construction site. Many people carpool together, gather outside of their workplace, and generally have a pretty irresponsible attitude toward safety measures. Such cases should not be attributed to construction sites.

The stained reputation of the industry due to COVID-19 outbreaks on construction sites

In How Ontario Construction Companies are Coping with the Pandemic DataBid reports that there has been a connection between smaller contractors and subcontractors and the rise of COVID-19 outbreaks on construction sites. There has even been a video showing workers without masks indulging in indecent activities.

While the industry severely criticized the act, the stain still remains. So, all the work to ensure workplace safety suffered a tremendous impact. Construction companies have been coping with the pandemic relatively well, but such instances could make things much harder.

Will further closures and restrictions be necessary? There are indications that the current level of restrictions is helping to tame the virus, and the rapidly increasing pace of vaccination and moderating infection levels gives some hope that the construction industry may be able to open more jobs considered non-essential.

But things could still turn for the worse. With schools already closed and people forced to stay at home, some believe that the only way to beat the third cycle of the pandemic is to close more workplaces. Obviously, the rise in COVID-19 outbreaks on construction sites is affecting developers, and residential construction just might find itself on the list of non-essential workplaces.

Jim Lamzela is president of DataBid.com.

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