Construction Industry Best Practices for Success

No one has immunity to the novel coronavirus COVID-19, neither is any company immune from the enterprise challenges the virus has left in its wake.

Nonessential companies have needed to shut their doorways and furlough or lay off staff, whereas important companies proceed to regulate operations to adjust to COVID-19 workplace security, social distancing and worker depart necessities.

We know that COVID-19 gained’t be eradicated anytime quickly, in order we start down the trail of reopening the state, it’s useful to consider some construction industry best practices that can assist drive future success with COVID-19 alongside the trip.

Construction Industry Best Practices

Prioritize Employee Health and Safety

The significance of guaranteeing staff’ health and security on the job isn’t a new idea for the development business. In truth, it is extremely doubtless you already have a security program in place to decrease accident charges and guarantee compliance with regulations.

In addition to the common security regulations and checklists, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have produced interim steerage for sustaining protected working environments via COVID-19.

Also Read – Top 5 Construction Industry Trends in 2021

Among the overall workplace safety considerations during COVID-19,  there are a couple of particular notes for the construction business.

• Some projects are experimenting with adjusting the subcontractor schedules so just one sub is on a job site at a time. For instance, as a substitute for permitting electrical set up concurrently with HVAC, the subs are given alternating time slots.
• Keeping sick staff from reporting to work can current a further communication problem in some firm cultures.
• Sick leave policies could require some tweaking to adjust to provisions of the Families First Coronavirus Response Act.
• Specific security necessities and protocols usually tend to be included in construction contracts for the foreseeable future.

Carefully Study Bids and Construction Contracts

While development corporations can count on to see some slowdown for projects that lose funding or probably put the general public in harm’s way, development bidding has not but slowed within the public sector. In fact, contractors ought to prepare for the bidding process to be endlessly altered with a rise in digital submissions and remote displays.

With the distinct risk of future project delays and cancellations associated with COVID-19, it’s particularly essential when bidding to take care in learning the specs and full scope of a project when contemplating your timeline and backlog. You want to find out your consolation stage with the project and submit a bid that aligns together with your capabilities and information.

Once you’ve landed the job, diligently evaluate the contract to ensure you’re pretty represented, particularly when working with a brand new project owner.

Prepare for Increased Surety Scrutiny

In the surety market throughout and post-COVID-19, underwriters are more likely to intensify scrutiny of the financial stability of contractors because of the increased chance of project delays, cancellations and the potential for a far slower economic system.

For a contractor to qualify for a bond, insurance companies usually look at the contractor’s monetary statements, project history, workers and tools.

Contractors should be capable of showing that they’re financially prepared for a slowdown in construction by rigorously documenting operational prices, profit and loss; maintaining money within the firm; avoiding debt; and delaying nonessential tools purchases.

Additionally, for the foreseeable future, contractors ought to prepare to offer documented plans and particulars about projects and the way potential points shall be resolved. An underwriter would possibly ask to see contractual clauses relating particularly to:

• Business continuity plan
• Indemnification settlement that addresses COVID-19
• Project extension because of COVID-19
• Dispute decision

It’s critically essential, probably now greater than ever, to guard your organization (and people who work for you) against extreme risk if you signal on the dotted line. Our Construction Contract Checklist will assist you to navigate via crucial sections of the contract.