’We have to do it right’: Protecting North Bay construction workers from coronavirus

Resources

Doug Hamilton outlined a list of resources construction firms can use to stay current with health orders in every county and advised firms to designate one person to monitor changes in rules to stay current.

For Sonoma County, go to www.sonomacounty.ca.gov/healthservices; for Marin County, go to www.marinhhs.org; for Napa County, (www.countyofnapa.org/publichealth); and for Mendocino County, go to :www.mendocinocounty.org/government/health.

He also suggests checking with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (www.cdc.gov) for updates; Cal-OSHA (www.dir.ca.gov) for publications; the North Coast Builders Exchange (www.ncbeonline.com) for industry guidance, along with the Northern California Engineering Contractors Association (www.nceca.com); as well as the Sonoma County Economic Development Board (www.sonomaedb.org).

Coming out of three-month pandemic lockdown, complying with COVID-19 worker protections is becoming a routine at job sites and back-office operations, according to construction industry experts speaking today at a Business Journal “Building the North Bay” virtual event Wednesday. But some are not taking health protocols seriously.

“Knowing what is required involves continuous research, education, site monitoring and compliance due diligence,” said Jim Persons, an environmental, health and safety consultant based in Cotati who has worked with dozens of local construction firms, wineries and other businesses for more than 25 years. “Staying current on California business rules is just the beginning.”

Panelist Doug Hamilton, is president and owner of Oak Grove Construction Company of Petaluma, added, “We informed our people that if they are found without a respirator mask on the job, they will have to go home for a week without pay – the same penalty for smoking pot and testing positive at work. It is a condition of employment. We have a zero-tolerance policy for non-compliance. The same consequence applies to violating our 10-foot separation rule. Each jobsite foreman is responsible for enforcing safety and health protocols.”

Site-specific plans

Persons said construction sites are each required to have specific protection plans created, like ways to disinfect themselves and maintain social distance, made more challenging become different North Bay counties have different rules.

Workers are also required to be trained to screen themselves for symptoms, and to stay at home if they have them.

In Sonoma County, mitigation measures involve verifying employees’ temperatures are below 100 degrees Fahrenheit, and making it mandatory for workers to wear face coverings properly upon entry to the workplace and outside.

Self-Policing

Persons said a site-specific safety supervisor has to be designated to enforce health standards to educate both employees and management on how to carry out COVID-19 mitigation plans and protocols. At the same time, hand sanitizer and other disinfecting products must be made available to all employees for their use and for cleaning worker, customer and client work spaces, equipment, tools, vehicles and rest rooms.

Personal protective equipment, (PPE) such as gloves, proper masks and other protective measures deemed appropriate for the nature of business operations depending on the type of work performed, also must be provided

Persons recommended companies engage third-party safety consultant inspections and keep the company’s Injury and Illness Prevention Program (IIPP) must be kept up to date for Cal OSHA compliance.

He recommended a specific type of respirator style masks with openings on the sides to limit escape of droplets that could carry coronavirus. Persons also noted regulations on PPE vary with Marin County, for example, including PPE as goggles and face shields and requiring companies maintain a log of all training provided to employees and to ensure proper use of PPE – such as determining what the “right” face covering should be and making sure it covers both mouth and nose.

In addition, workers should know about, and participate in, a daily screening process, while being considerate of others by covering coughs and sneezing into an elbow to block disbursed air droplets.

Persons said food and water should not be shared on the jobsite. If tools are shared, they should be wiped down after each use. He pointed out that the major prevention factor is maintaining a social distance of at least 6 feet.

Jobsite Postings

To keep everyone informed, Persons recommends posting several documents for all to see at headquarters and at each jobsite, including county-specific safety protocols. This includes Sonoma County’s Shelter-In-Place “Stay Well Sonoma County (#C19-14) poster; Sonoma County #CP-14 Construction Field Requirements; the CDC poster “Stop Germs! Wash your Hands” found at www.cdc.gov/handwashing; the construction company’s COVID-19 Checklist to include employer/employee and subcontractor responsibilities, the use of PPE and cleaning and disinfecting protocols; screening and social distancing requirements as well as the firm’s project specific safety plan. Poster guidelines from other counties are also available.

Oak Grove Construction Company

Hamilton said, “We are naïve to think that what happened in New York City and at other hotspots for the coronavirus around the country cannot happen here. COVID-19 has killed more than 121,000 in the U.S. as of June 24 and numbers are still rising as stay at home rules are relaxed and businesses reopen. When it comes to protecting our workers, we have to do it right.”

He said going back to business as usual would be extremely dangerous, and while many safety and health precautions may be inconvenient for some, strictly abiding by protocols being established can make it unlikely for employees to contract the virus in the workplace.

“If you don’t have a consistent, effective and even a somewhat stringent disciplinary compliance plan, you don’t have a program that will work – everyone will be trying to do their own thing,” Hamilton observed.

Hamilton said he visits half of the company’s projects sites each day to see if everyone is following the rules faithfully, and not just wearing a mask around their necks. Oak Grove’s insurance carrier also conducts unannounced onsite monitoring through its own safety inspectors.

“While we are experiencing better compliance, some see these rules as an invasion of their privacy. It concerns me to see a few wearing masks but letting their noses go uncovered. Both nose and mouth have to be under the mask to be effective.”

Oak Grove goes the extra mile by using a device that conducts pulmonary capacity tests and mask fit checks (no beards are allowed) to ensure that respirators are snug on the face, and so that employees do not have issues with reduced air flow. Employees are also instructed on the proper use and care of their respirator (N95 masks).

Carpooling to work sites has been controversial during the coronavirus pandemic and banned by most firms. Oak Grove allows workers to car pool as long as everyone wears a respirator mask, or ride share with a relative.

At headquarters, signs in the common office areas and bathrooms remind staff members to sanitize every surface they touch – including using Lysol in the toilet bowl, on the seat, the lever and door knob. On job sites, a spray bottles containing bleach are available for use in portable toilets along with paper towels to help clean up.

He said company owners and business managers have to set an example and model behavior they want everyone to follow.

“We have a moral and ethical responsibility to demonstrate our commitment and then rise to the occasion by adhering to these rules and guidelines for the sake of our employees, their families and the communities where we work and live.”

Nordby Construction

Fellow panelist Tony Simmons, president/partner with Nordby Construction, said, “Before the shutdown, I took the lead when it came to protocol development with one goal in view – how to make the workplace as safe as possible for employees with guidelines for moving forward while saving both time and money.”

Nordby quickly implemented provisions of a 20-page guidebook on safe work place by training staff and workers at jobsites.

After training, Simmons noted, that it’s all about execution and follow-through. “For our site superintendents, it’s their number 1 priority and involves constant vigilance.”

“We clearly defined what had to change and developed a rationale for what and why specific changes are required. You have to stay vigilant by informing yourself and others. I continue to read articles online and in newspapers as rapid rule revisions are announced. For me, this is the only way to stay ahead of changes and adapt to new situations.”

By conducting personal research, he says you gain confidence to serve as a change leader, but you can’t BS people. “When it comes to peoples’ lives and livelihood, it boils down to finding what the truth is so you can establish high levels of trust among employees, and also so they will believe what you say and consider you to be a credible source.”

Specific job site signs display unique safety rules associated with Sonoma, Marin, Napa and Mendocino Counties. These and other posters are attached to jobsite trailers.

Subcontractors also need to know Nordby’s safety protocols in order to work at a company site.

Nordby places gatekeepers at each location to check incoming supply delivery truck drivers and subcontractors to make sure they are in compliance with the company’s policies. If not, they are loaned PPE and told to bring their own the next time. While this has added to operating costs, Simmons believes it is important to invest the money upfront in order to save money at the back end and avoid negative consequences.

If a Nordby employee develops symptoms associated with coronavirus, he or she must stay home for three days, or until test results are back. If they test positive, the worksite has to be shut for two weeks.

Nordby Construction has an internal COVID-19 Task Force to review rule updates as soon as they occur and convey them to everyone. Online Zoom meetings are held every Friday to go over the latest developments and to talk about new protective equipment and other important issues. Jobsite huddles are held daily to take employee temperatures and make sure they have masks and are aware of any new rule modifications.

For Simmons, taking precautions involves basic respect for your own safety as an individual and for other people.

“As we saw COVID-19 cases rise, it became more critical to inform employees about ways to keep them and coworkers safe by coming to the office wearing masks for their own good. It’s a very simple thing to take precautions and engage subcontractors to do the same while respecting social distancing. Our industry has similar mandates for wearing hard hats and steel-toed shoes. If workers don’t have them, they are not allowed to work. We also found that continuous repetition of the rules is vital for ongoing success. We all have to take these precautions very seriously.”

Resources

Doug Hamilton outlined a list of resources construction firms can use to stay current with health orders in every county and advised firms to designate one person to monitor changes in rules to stay current.

For Sonoma County, go to www.sonomacounty.ca.gov/healthservices; for Marin County, go to www.marinhhs.org; for Napa County, (www.countyofnapa.org/publichealth); and for Mendocino County, go to :www.mendocinocounty.org/government/health.

He also suggests checking with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (www.cdc.gov) for updates; Cal-OSHA (www.dir.ca.gov) for publications; the North Coast Builders Exchange (www.ncbeonline.com) for industry guidance, along with the Northern California Engineering Contractors Association (www.nceca.com); as well as the Sonoma County Economic Development Board (www.sonomaedb.org).

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