“Of all the COVID-19-related documents used on a jobsite, the safety plan is likely the most important,” Goldberg Segalla’s Stefan A. Borovina writes in Professional Safety Journal. “Many municipalities such as New York City require a written, site-specific plan for each jobsite as a condition for any active construction sites. Even if it is not required, a written safety plan enables contractors to have a clearly defined procedure for keeping workers and the workplace safe so that construction work can continue.”

In the article, Stefan, a licensed Construction Health and Safety Technician (CHST) and a member of Goldberg Segalla’s OSHA and Construction practices, discusses how contractors can continue to thrive despite the pandemic by maximizing COVID-19 safety on their jobsites and streamlining safety policies. Stefan talks in detail about how to document policies, procedures, and other important information on a project to minimize illness and worker injury as well as legal risk.

Notably, he points out that contractors should have a detailed communication plan as well as safety plans. “While the safety plan addresses the specific COVID-19-related practices workers are expected to follow, the communication plan documents the methods used to provide COVID-19 safety information on the site,” he writes. “This plan should include any instructions and training delivered to workers and visitors about preventing virus transmission. For example, the communication plan can document how workers will be instructed to self-monitor for symptoms or how to practice effective handwashing.”

READ THE FULL ARTICLE HERE:

“Maximizing COVID-19 Safety on Construction Sites Through Effective Documentation,” Professional Safety Journal, February 4, 2021

MORE ABOUT GOLDBERG SEGALLA’S STEFAN A. BOROVINA:

Stefan A. Borovina, a Construction Health and Safety Technician (CHST) and attorney with more than a decade of litigation and risk-management experience, is an advisor to construction contractors, large subcontractors, developers, premises owners, and other clients across the country operating in construction, manufacturing, and other industries. Stefan is an authority on matters related to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and the compliance issues in construction and general industry, as well as matters related to New York City Department of Buildings (DOB) inspections, citations, permitting, licensing, and general compliance. In addition to guiding clients through OSHA and DOB inspections and citations and advising on worksite safety programs, Stefan also regularly represents and advises clients with respect to construction contracts, payment performance, and liens.