Southeast

WASHINGTON, D.C. — In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, North America’s Building Trade Union (NABTU) and the Center for Construction Research and Training have released a new standard for infectious disease exposure control practices for U.S. construction sites. “The new national framework outlines planning and implementation elements with strong minimum standards, screening policies and the requirement of a comprehensive employer exposure control plan. [The employer plan comprises] control measures, symptom checking, social distancing, training, hygiene and decontamination procedures,” according to a press release from the partnership. Some guidelines that the partnership suggests employers implement include: Designating a site-specific COVID-19 officer at every job site; Planning for office staff to have the ability to work from home; Training workers with the most recent information on the hazard and control measures, including social distancing, handwashing facilities on site and how high-touch surfaces are disinfected; Screening, such as asking workers to self-identify symptoms of fever, coughing, shortness of breath, chills, muscle pain, headache, sore throat and new loss of taste or smell each day, before the shift, mid-shift and at home. “The COVID-19 pandemic clearly underscores the need for and value of a strong, adaptable and multi-purpose exposure control standard to prevent …