While nonessential construction has been halted, many of these areas have allowed “essential” construction activity to continue. This includes roads, bridges, utilities, transit facilities, hospitals, affordable housing, homeless shelters, and emergency constructions. Additionally, New York plans to allow certain construction projects throughout the state to resume by mid-May.
No matter if the site is non-essential or essential, construction professionals throughout the hard-hit New York City metropolitan area are worried about returning to work in a safe environment. Whether a construction site has a confirmed or suspected case of COVID-19 or staff remains largely unaffected by the virus, a thorough disinfecting can ensure the virus doesn’t linger and put workers’ minds at ease.
Why disinfection is necessary on construction sites during the COVID-19 pandemic
There is not much known about COVID-19, but we do know there’s a possibility that this virus lives on certain surfaces days after exposure. Cardboard, plastic, metal, wood, and glass are just some of the surfaces on which COVID-19 can live for hours or days after contact. Not only does that pose a risk that the illness can spread among the crew and their families, but it also could make other, healthy workers wary about coming to work at all, leading to large numbers of callouts and no-shows on a jobsite. That only further delays a project’s already-stalled timeline.
What gets disinfected on a construction site during a COVID-19 cleaning?
If there has been a suspected or confirmed case of COVID-19 on your construction site, the site needs to be shut down and a thorough cleaning and disinfection is required before resuming construction. A cleaning will cover the following:
- High touch points: Elevator buttons, doorknobs, bathrooms, port-a-johns, lunchrooms, break areas, and common areas are all automatically included in a thorough clean.
- Areas frequented by the confirmed case: Confirmed by contact tracing, cleaning to eradicate COVID-19 will follow the footsteps of the individual with confirmed or suspected COVID-19 and disinfect those points with which he or she interacted. This not only includes high touch points, but can include temporary office space where the individual dropped off paperwork, or entrances he or she used.
- Equipment used on site: If the confirmed case was someone who utilized the tools on site, all hand tools, specialized tools, controls on large tools, ladders, and other equipment are thoroughly disinfected.
Partner with EWMA for a thorough disinfection
EWMA’s experts have decades of experience working with local, state and federal agencies to meet all requirements of all environmental regulations. We have expanded this deep knowledge and understanding to include site disinfection to best serve and assist our clients during the COVID-19 pandemic. Unlike regular office cleaning services, EWMA adheres to the high standards set by multiple federal and state agencies, tapping into their knowledge of the complicated, multi-faceted environmental remediation world and applying them to the strict standards required to properly disinfect a site.
The environmental remediation experts at EWMA don’t just conduct thorough cleanings of construction sites – they bring peace of mind during uncertain and volatile times. Whether your site has a confirmed or suspected case of COVID-19 or you want to preemptively clean your site, disinfecting surfaces properly is of the utmost importance to ensure construction can resume safely and without interruption.
If your construction site has been disrupted by a COVID-19 diagnosis, or if you’re considering a preemptive deep clean before reopening your construction site, contact EWMA today and ask to speak with Michael Sylvester or Craig Gorczyca to obtain a no-obligation, no-cost estimate.
About EWMA:
As a fully employee-owned firm, EWMA has provided innovative, transparent, and cost-effective environmental solutions and consulting throughout the tri-state area since 1987. EWMA brings a wealth of experience to the real estate industry, including due diligence for property transactions, environmental site assessments, site investigations, data analysis, brownfield redevelopments, and post-remediation care. Consulting and remediation services are available for private and public entities, as well as public-private partnerships. To learn more about EWMA real estate, compliance, and remediation services, including the SECUR-IT® guaranteed fixed-price remediation program, visit www.ewma.com.