Stop non-essential construction work, demands British Safety Council

The British Safety Council (BSC) has called for the Government to end all non-essential construction work because social distancing will be “impossible or simply unsafe”.

This followed the announcement by Cabinet Secretary Michael Gove this morning that all major construction work should go ahead but that close-quarter jobs in people’s homes “would not be appropriate”.

The BSC said that construction workers had raised concerns that they would not be able to practice social distancing on sites.

BSC chair Lawrence Waterman said from his home today: “The construction sector needs clarity from the Government – on most sites social distancing will be impossible or simply unsafe. All non-essential construction should end now so that construction workers can go home and stay home like everyone else.”

He added: “Some building work will be deemed essential – for example, building work that will improve access to hospitals or road access which will help tackle the virus. It is also the case that half-built buildings need to be made safe and workers should prioritise work that can safely suspend construction for as long as necessary.”

 

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