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CONSTRUCTION REOPENING

5/21 Cambridge issues specific COVID-19 Control Plan for the City

The City of Cambridge has issued an amended temporary emergency construction order with a four step phase-in of construction and a specific COVID-19 Control Plan for the City, including a cleaning and decontamination checklist, limits on numbers of workers per square footage, and a prohibition against non-essential workers on jobsites. As cities and towns may have different construction reopening dates and may require additional specific safety requirements beyond the Governor’s safety standards, AGC MA reminds you to check with the city or town before restarting your construction jobs.

 

5/18 AGC MA Update on Governor’s Plans to Reopen Business

Governor Charlie Baker today announced that all construction projects in Massachusetts may reopen immediately provided that general contractors and owners for each construction site comply with the new construction sector safety guidelines and compliance documentation. For more information, please go to Mass.gov’s Safety Standards for Construction webpage, which contains the safety and hygiene standards that you must comply with in order to begin any project. The documents on the webpage include the Sector Specific Workplace Safety Standards to Address COVID-19 , the Construction Protocol Summary, and the Construction COVID-19 Checklist. We urge you to review these documents with your team to ensure that you can comply with these requirements.

In addition, the Governor announced a new portal for businesses looking to purchase PPE. Additional business reopening guidance, including the Reopening MA report, workplace posters and guidance for reopening office space can be found on the Reopening Massachusetts webpage.

We have also previously provided the safety protocols from the City of Boston, which recently announced that it will permit any construction type that is allowed by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts after May 25, 2020. We urge you to check with each individual city and town to determine if they intend to impose any additional requirements above and beyond those announced today by the Governor.

 

General Guidelines for Reopening Offices

This document is intended to be used as a template to create your own company guideline.

 

CDC Reopening Guidance for Cleaning and Disinfecting Public Spaces, Workplaces, Businesses, Schools, and Homes

This guidance is intended for all Americans, whether you own a business, run a school, or want to ensure the cleanliness and safety of your home.

 

May 7, 2020 | The City of Boston has issued a memo detailing the parameters that allow construction to reopen in the city as early as May 15th.


Here is what you need to know:

 

"Essential" construction may "prepare the site" starting May 15th if:

*Note that Walsh's "essential" construction is still business as usual. Walsh's "essential" list can be found here: https://www.boston.gov/news/temporary-guidance-construction-city-boston

 

Walsh's "permitted" construction will begin reopening on May 18th if:

  • the project is permitted (i.e. "the work is for hospitals, public schools, residential buildings with 1-3 units, road and utilities, or other outdoor/open air work including steel erection, roofing, and foundations work),
  • the contractor filed a COVID-19 Safety Plan,
  • the contractor signed the safety affidavit, and
  • "project sites are sufficiently prepared to adhere to all criteria of their safety plan" see Walsh - Boston's Covid-19 Construction Site Best Practices Worksheet 

 

All "essential" construction will reopen on May 26th if: On May 26th, "The City of Boston will allow all essential construction projects to recommence construction activities in adherence to their safety plans." The project is essential per Governor Baker's Orders, (see  "Exhibit A" for official list). Presumably, these projects will need to meet the following:

 

GETTING APPROVAL FOR YOUR SAFETY PLAN

The City of Boston has implemented new protocols for essential construction work in the City of Boston due to the public health emergency caused by the spread of COVID-19 (coronavirus).

 

For more information, this ISD web page is a good place to start: https://www.boston.gov/news/temporary-guidance-construction-city-boston

 

Summary provided by:

Lexie Rae Pereira, Consigli Construction Co. Inc.

J.D./M.B.A. Candidate
Boston College Law School, Class of 2021
Boston College Carroll School of Management, Class of 2022
Boston College Morrissey College of Arts & Sciences, Class of 2017