national association of homebuilders announces covid-19 safety event

The Washington-based National Association of Homebuilders has issued an advisory asking all of the nation’s residential construction companies to spend a minimum of 10 minutes on Thursday, April 16 to learn about COVID-19 workplace safety procedures.

What is being called the COVID-19 Jobsite Safety Stand Down will be designed, according to a statement from the NAHB, to “educate workers on what they should do to keep themselves safe from coronavirus and to help ‘flatten the curve’ for everyone.”

The Stand Down event comes as the industry organization has also issued its Comprehensive Preparedness and Response Plan for Construction that provides step-by-step instructions both for employers and employees.

In a statement released by Rod Matuga, vice-president for labor, safety, and health issues with the NAHB, it was additionally noted that the Department of Homeland Security has deemed homebuilding as an “essential infrastructure business,” allowing most construction projects to continue despite the COVID-19 outbreak.

The NAHB Stand Down comes on the heels of a similar event sponsored on April 9 by the Associated General Contractors of America asking construction companies nationally to participate in COVID-19 safety instruction events.

The AGC has estimated that at least 31,000 construction workers took part in the event.
​
As part of a Stand Down event in Colorado, Michael Gifford, the chief executive officer of the AGC in the Centennial State, noted that the action was also designed to “inform the public at large, as well as government officials, that the construction industry can operate safely during this crisis.”

​By Garry Boulard

---