Bringing construction sites in line with social distancing guidelines

With more and more people heading back to work, construction sites are having to be brought into line with new Government guidelines due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Here at Plasloc, we have been assisting in making sure they adhere to them. In this blog, our Director Leigh Matthews discusses why social distancing screens are vital in helping to stop a second wave of the virus.

The coronavirus pandemic has provided a hugely challenging three months for almost every single industry and no business is immune from having to put things in place as the country starts to slowly recover.

With a possibility of a second spike of the virus, and news that a vaccine could still be some time away, workplaces will not only have to adjust to a new way of working, but they may also have to get used to it for longer than anticipated.

We have been operating through the COVID-19 outbreak with essential NHS works and are currently working across multiple projects to ensure construction sites are keeping their workers as safe as possible.

Maintaining Government guidelines

Whether restarting or continuing operations, every construction site needs to assess and manage the risks of COVID-19.

Employers have a legal responsibility to protect workers and others from risk to their health and safety by understanding how to work safely during the COVID-19 pandemic and doing everything to minimise those risks.

Construction sites should make every reasonable effort to comply with the social distancing guidelines set out by the government, which is maintaining a 2metre social distance wherever possible, and screens are the perfect way to separate people from each other to reduce the risk of transmission.

Social distancing applies to all parts of a business, not just the place where people spend most of their time, so entrances and exits, break rooms, canteens, and similar settings also need to be converted, and these are often the most challenging areas to maintain social distancing.

Maintaining social distancing also needs to happen while arriving at and departing from work, and when travelling between buildings and sites.

Screens can help reduce crowding and congestion into and out of construction sites and work areas and they can also help introduce one-way flow at entry and exit points.

The perfect screening solution

With hygiene vital to help prevent a second wave of coronavirus, our hygienic screening is perfect for construction sites to help maintain government guidelines.

They can be easily cleaned to prevent infection and provide cost-effective clinical segregation and it is one of the reasons why our screening is best for construction projects in the healthcare sector.

Our screens can also be designed to put up graphics and used for signage to put up important information to demonstrate separate working zones and to help keep different groups of workers physically separated as much as practical. Signage can also help with allowing a controlled flow of people moving throughout the site.

As a patented, freestanding PVCu internal and external hoarding system, Plasloc has been designed for quick installation and easy removal as we understand the need to work even more efficiently during the current climate. It is why our sites have been able to continue to progress with minimal disruption whilst keeping workforces safe.

Multiple projects

We are currently working across multiple projects installing segregation to landings, canteens, and offices to ensure sites have adequate hygienic segregation to maintain Government guidelines.

One of our recent projects was to install social distancing screens at Battersea Power Station for principle contractor Mace Group to assist them with implementing social distancing.

Recent projects within hospitals have included the creation of temporary screening wards during sickness outbreaks; patient tunnels to provide a safe and hygienic passage for staff to continue to work; and help creating decontamination units for infection control.

Do you require a hygienic screening solution to bring a construction site in line with social distancing guidelines? Give Plasloc a call on 01626 356 995 or contact us online.

Check out our related blogs:

Are there any construction site hoarding requirements?

A round up of our recent Covid screening installations

Protecting the public during construction with construction hoardings from Plasloc