Construction has largely continued during the pandemic, but at some job sites here and across the country, it paused on Thursday.
The pauses were for what are called “safety stand downs,” or safety briefings that in this case are about the coronavirus.
“The most important thing is that everyone on a job site understands that there is no margin for error when it comes to protecting themselves, and through that, really, protecting the public from the spread of the coronavirus,” said Brian Turmail, a spokesman for the Associated General Contractors of America, a trade group that represents the commercial construction industry.
“They’ll be talking about how to maintain an appropriate social distance while continuing to build, or if you can’t, what kind of face mask and protective gear you need to wear so that you’re not encouraging the spread of the virus,” he said.
Additionally, messages include: “How to not share tools, how to wipe down high-touch areas on a job site,” from scaffolding to ladders to port-a-potty handles, he said.
Turmail said about 300 firms and 30,000 construction workers were taking part in the stand downs.
He said local companies taking part include Turner, Clark and Bozzuto.
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