April 23, 2020
COVID-19 UPDATE 22
 

OSHA ISSUES NEW ALERT TO KEEP CONSTRUCTION WORKERS
SAFE DURING CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC

The US Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) issued an alert on April 21, 2020 listing safety tips employers can follow to help protect construction workers from exposure to the coronavirus.
Measures that can help protect employees working in construction include:
  • Encouraging workers to stay home if they are sick;
  • Training workers how to properly put on, use/wear, and take off protective clothing and equipment;
  • Allowing workers to wear masks over their nose and mouth to prevent them from spreading the virus;
  • Continuing to use other normal control measures, including personal protective equipment, necessary to protect workers from other job hazards associated with construction activities;
  • Advising workers to avoid physical contact with others and directing employees/contractors/visitors to increase personal space to at least six feet, where possible. Where work trailers are used, all workers should maintain social distancing while inside the trailers;
  • Promoting personal hygiene. If workers do not have immediate access to soap and water for handwashing, provide alcohol-based hand rubs containing at least 60 percent alcohol;
  • Using Environmental Protection Agency-approved cleaning chemicals from List N or that have label claims against the coronavirus; and
  • Encouraging workers to report any safety and health concerns.

OSHA’s general, one-page document is available here:

Other OSHA COVID-19 documents of interest can be found at the following:
“Guidance on Preparing Workplaces for COVID-19”: https://www.osha.gov/Publications/OSHA3990.pdf
 
OSHA COVID-19 Resource Page: https://www.osha.gov/SLTC/covid-19/
 
These documents can also be found at UTCA’s website .
 
NEW JERSEY FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE FOR QUALIFYING SMALL BUSINESSES
 
UTCA wishes to remind its member firms that in addition to federal small business financial support programs, the State of New Jersey has established a business resource website to provide information regarding New Jersey’s small business assistance programs using a “Question and Answer” format to help businesses determine qualification criteria.
 
The website is located at: 
 
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You can also access this information and many other construction-specific COVID-19 resources and updates at www.utcanj.org/covid-19-information

If anyone has questions concerning this notice, please contact us at the UTCA office 732-292-4300.


PO Box 728 Allenwood, NJ 08720 Phone: (732) 292-4300 Fax: (732) 292-4310
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