Making buildings safe, including progressing the remediation of high-rise
buildings with unsafe cladding, particularly those with unsafe Aluminium
Composite Material (ACM) cladding; and maintaining measures to ensure buildings
are safe ahead of remediation remains a priority, says the government.
The government has now put in place additional project management support
with construction expertise to help oversee remediation. The additional support
will identify blockers to progress and work directly with those responsible for
remediation to support individual projects.
This new team will work with those responsible for remediation and the
Department to understand the impact of COVID-19 on remediation projects and
identify ways to reduce the impact on pace.
Construction sites have not been asked to close, so work can continue if it
is done safely.
Employers should ensure their workers on-site are able to follow the public
health guidance, and they should consider responsible arrangements for ensuring
their workers can travel in line with this advice, such as through staggering
site hours to reduce public transport use during peak periods. We will keep
these arrangements under constant review and take any steps required.
It is, therefore, possible for construction work to continue in the current
context. Those responsible for commissioning building safety work, such as the
remediation of high-rise buildings with unsafe ACM cladding, and the
construction companies undertaking the work, should consider how best to
proceed and/or mitigate the risks arising from such work being paused.
To assist the industry the Construction Leadership Council (CLC) have
provided further guidance on site operating procedures and how construction sites should operate safelyduring the COVID-19 pandemic.
The CLC has also published advice to industry on the temporary suspension of sites where this is relevant. We
will update this page as further advice is produced.
When considering their position employers may also refer to the latest
Public Health England guidance to employers on reducing the spread of COVID-19.
The National Fire Chief’s Council (NFCC) has produced revised guidance on waking watches within the context of COVID-19.
Building owners, managers, or responsible persons with any doubt about the
suitability of a waking watch should please immediately contact the local Fire
and Rescue Service (FRS).
The NFCC has also published revised protection arrangements to support Fire and Rescue Services.
Staff undertaking waking watch or other critical fire safety roles are
providing vital public safety functions to keep homes safe. They may,
therefore, be classified as critical workers for the purposes of childcare
provision.
Please refer to the government’s guidance which states that if workers think they fall within the critical
categories they should confirm with their employer that, based on their
business continuity arrangements, their specific role is necessary for the
continuation of this essential public service.
