The year is almost over, and yet we still feel the brunt of the Covid-19 pandemic affecting every single aspect of our lives. For home renovations and repairs, this is an unprecedented time. Suddenly, what was already a challenging task seems to be insurmountable right now.
How do we make sure the construction site is safe during the renovation process when there will be people working together, sweating, talking, sneezing, and mingling?
Leave Your Home
You and your family cannot stay in your home during the renovation. While in most cases this is okay, this is a different time. Find an apartment you can rent temporarily or stay with some relatives, provided that you’ve all been tested negative for the virus. This will, at least, stop the spread of the virus from the workers to your family, or vice-versa. Minimizing the number of people on the construction site is one of the most important things you can do.
Work With Your Contractor
What is your contractor’s plan for working during the pandemic? Even the best-laid plans can sometimes fail to accommodate the necessary precautions needed to stay safe from the virus. If you have a friend in the medical field, why don’t you ask him/her to go over the plans? They can point out the specific provisions that might hurt your plans.
This is not just about your concern for your family. It’s about the workers, too. You and the contractor need to be on the same page about the safety protocols that will be imposed on the site.
Create a Schedule
To minimize the number of people working together, the contractor has to create a schedule. Who needs to be on the site is probably the most important question you have to ask yourself. An electrical system assessment will usually be one of the first things that have to be done. Should other workers be there during the assessment? Who’s going to work on the job laid out by the assessor? That’s who should be present during the assessment.
Safety protocols require only three workers in one area of the construction site. That will keep them working away from each other and breathing the same air as everyone else. Make sure that your contractor will follow this rule.
Sanitize Everything
There must be at least half a day to sanitize and spray the tools, equipment, trailers, work area, and PPE. Sure, it will delay your project a bit, but it is also essential for the protection of the site and your workers. It’s going to put your neighbors’ concerns at ease, too. If they know that the site is being sanitized regularly, then they’ll rest better at night.
Wearing of PPE
This should be a no-brainer, but many still fail at providing the right personal protective equipment (PPE) to their workers. Make sure that your contractor knows this is a non-negotiable. Make it a point to visit the site when you can to see if the workers are wearing the right mask, shield, and cover. Your neighbors will also feel safe if they know the workers are not walking around the block sans mask.
Ensure Proper Ventilation
Finally, most people forget that aside from distance and mask, the most important armor against the spread of the virus is proper ventilation. Make sure that air is not trapped inside your home. While there should be a barrier to stop the spread of dirt and dust, proper ventilation is also a must. Air vents and air filters will help in that regard.
It’s very important to keep these economic activities going, but it doesn’t mean you should forego safety protocols. Renovating your home is always an exciting project. In today’s environment, though, you have to make sure that the workers, your neighbors, and your family are all safe from contracting the virus.
