An Ontario construction group is renewing calls for a shutdown of sites across the province, one day after the provincial government announced “updated guidance” for construction employers in a bid to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus.
The Ontario Construction Consortium (OCC) said it’s “impossible to maintain proper social distancing on sites.”
The group is calling for non-essential sites to be closed for two weeks “until the situation can be improved for the health and safety of construction workers.”
“It makes no sense to ban gatherings of 5 or more people in most circumstances, but still have hundreds of workers reporting to construction job sites,” OCC executive director Phil Gillies said in a statement.
The statement sent out Monday was in response to updated guidelines the province issued on Sunday to employers in a bid to limit the spread of COVID-19 on sites.
The recommendations include staggering shifts, restricting site numbers, better on-site sanitation and communicating health practices.
“The health and safety of construction workers is a top priority for our government,” Labour Minister Monte McNaughton said in a statement.
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