COVID-19 has transformed the way businesses work in Ontario. The construction industry is no exception.
We have changed our practices and adapted to ensure that we can keep up with the demand for much-needed housing in the GTA, all the while adhering to important health and safety guidelines.
At last check, the residential industry was running at 75 to 90 per cent productivity. There is room for improvement, however a big reason for the recovery has been an order extending construction hours that was announced by the provincial government back in April at the outset of the COVID outbreak.
The extended hours have enabled the industry to continue building essential infrastructure while ensuring workers can practice physical distancing on worksites.
Government brought in the order to allow the industry to continue to work 24 hours a day, seven days a week on new hospital builds, expansions and other essential projects like COVID-19 assessment centres. The order expires Oct 7, 2021. Residential is allowed to work from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Builders are sensitive to community concerns, though. They often do less noisy work in the earlier hours and work with the community and neighbourhood associations in an effort to mitigate disruptions.
The provincial order has enabled the industry to accelerate construction of these important projects and allowed employers to take steps to protect workers.