City of Pasadena Issues COVID-19 Safety Guidance for Construction Sites

The City of Pasadena has issued the following guidelines based on CDC’s Interim Guidance for Businesses and Employers to Plan and Respond to Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), OSHA’s Guidance on Preparing Workplaces for COVID-19, and other publications.

Construction industry employers shall develop a comprehensive COVID-19 exposure control plan, which includes control measures such as social distancing; symptom checking; hygiene; decontamination procedures, and training. An exposure control plan and the following practices must be followed to prevent any onsite worker from contracting COVID-19, as many people with COVID-19 are asymptomatic and can potentially spread disease. Failure to comply with this guidance shall be deemed as creating unsafe conditions and may result in withheld inspections or shutting down the construction site until corrected.

City staff will verify compliance with these guidelines during regular scheduled inspections for projects under construction as well as during investigations associated with complaints that may be submitted to the Pasadena Citizens Service Center at (626) 744-7311 or at http://ww5.cityofpasadena.net/citizen-service-center/.

1. Practice social distancing by maintaining a minimum 6-foot distance from others. No gatherings of 10+ people. Workers on break or lunch break should not gather in groups and should maintain 6-foot distance.

2. Preclude gatherings of any size, and any time two or more people must meet, ensure minimum 6- foot separation. Meetings should be conducted online or via conference call when possible.

3. Provide personal protective equipment (PPE) such as gloves, goggles, face shields, and face masks as appropriate for the activity being performed. Do not share personal protective equipment.

4. The owner/contractor shall designate a site specific COVID-19 Supervisor to enforce this guidance. A designated COVID-19 Supervisor shall be present on the construction site at all times during construction activities. The COVID-19 Supervisor can be an on-site worker who is designated to carry this role.

5. Identify “choke points” and “high-risk areas” where workers are forced to stand together, such as hallways, hoists and elevators, break areas, and buses, and control them so social distancing is maintained.

6. Minimize interactions when picking up or delivering equipment or materials, ensure minimum 6-foot separation.

7. Stagger the trades as necessary to reduce density and maintain minimum 6-foot separation social distancing. Limit the number of people to the minimum possible. Restrict non-essential visitors.

8. Discourage workers from using other worker’s phones, desks, offices, work tools and equipment. If necessary, clean and disinfect them before and after use, and hand shanking.

9. Post, in areas visible to all workers, required hygienic practices including not touching face with unwashed hands or gloves; washing hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds; use of hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol, cleaning AND disinfecting frequently touched objects and surfaces, such as workstations, keyboards, telephones, handrails, machines, shared tools, elevator control buttons, and doorknobs; covering the mouth and nose when coughing or sneezing as well as other hygienic recommendations by the CDC.

10. Place wash stations or hand sanitizers in multiple locations to encourage hand hygiene, identify location of trash receptacles for proper disposal.

11. Require anyone on the project to stay home if they are sick, except to get medical care.

12. Have employees inform their supervisor if they have a sick family member at home with COVID- 19.

13. Maintain a daily attendance log of all workers and visitors.