COVID 19 CLC Site Operating Procedures Rev 6 updates

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The Construction Leadership Council has issued a further revision to the Site Operating Procedure to reflect the recent changes and guidance from the government.

The changes to the Site Operating Procedures – Version 6 include:

  • Current requirements such as social distancing
  • The CLC statement on The Use of Face Coverings is included
  • Updated guidance on shielding, self-isolation, testing and what to do if a worker develops COVID-19 symptoms or has to self-isolate
  • Confirmation that canteens serving food must display an NHS QR Code
  • Rewording throughout to reflect the fact that social distancing is no longer exceptional, and that in some key areas Government has published more detailed guidance or updated terminology.

 

Current guidance states Social Distancing Workers should maintain a distance of two metres, or one metre with risk mitigation where two metres is not viable. (Eliminate, Reduce, Isolate, Control, PPE)

The local COVID alert levels do not restrict construction activities; however, any additional local authority restrictions must be complied with. National guidance on social distancing in England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland should be adhered to off-site.

Going to Work Workers should be working from home if they can. Those who cannot work from home, which includes workers in construction, manufacturing, logistics and distribution, should go to work.

Workplaces that are open should be Covid-19 secure with a risk assessment and COVID poster displayed.

Face Coverings In accordance with The Use of Face Coverings in Construction, where workers on site are not required to wear Respiratory Protective Equipment (RPE) and their workplace (which may include welfare and changing facilities, site offices or site meeting rooms) their employer should make face coverings available and they should be worn in:

  • An enclosed space
  • Where social distancing is not always possible
  • Where they come into contact with others they do not normally meet.

 

In line with Government guidance on premises providing hospitality, face coverings must be worn in canteens except when seated at a table to eat or drink.

Social Distancing

Workers in the construction industry should follow the guidance on Social Distancing. Where they cannot work from home, they must follow guidance on ‘Meeting with Others Safely’ and ‘Safer Travel’ while travelling to and from work and while at work.

Shielding has been paused for those deemed to be clinically extremely vulnerable. If reintroduced in an area by the local authority, workers will receive a new formal shielding notification and advised not to go to work.

Self-Isolation

Anyone who:

  • Has a high temperature, a new continuous cough, or a loss of, or change in, their normal sense of taste or smell
  • Is within 10 days of receiving a positive Coronavirus (Covid-19) test result
  • Is within 14 days of the day when the first member of their household or support bubble showed symptoms of Coronavirus (Covid-19) or received a positive test result
  • Has returned from a country that is not on the travel corridors list and is required to quarantine for 14 days
  • Has been contacted by the NHS Test & Trace Service; must follow the guidance on self-isolation and should not come to site.

 

If Someone Falls Ill

  • If a worker develops a high temperature, a new continuous cough, or a loss of, or change in, their normal sense of taste or smell while at work, they should:
  • Ensure their manager or supervisor is informed
  • Return home immediately
  • Avoid touching anything
  • Cough or sneeze into a tissue and put it in a bin, or if they do not have tissues, cough, and sneeze into the crook of their elbow.
  • They should get a Coronavirus (Covid-19) test.
  • They must follow Stay at home: guidance for households with possible or confirmed coronavirus (COVID-19) infection and not return to site until they have received a negative test result or, in the event of a positive test result, until they have completed their period of self-isolation and are no longer unwell.

 

Sites that are informed of more than one confirmed case within 14 days will need to contact their local Public Health England protection team. Further information can be found in the ‘What to do if a worker has Covid-19 or has to self-isolate’ flowchart.