Construction During COVID19 Update What to Know During Phase One Reopening

As of June 8, 2020, New York City has moved i n to Phase One of reopening. For construction, this means that regardless of whether the construction was previously deemed nonessent ial, work can continue so long as a work permit was issued by the New York City Department of Buildings (DOB) for the site, and New York state’s minimum safety standards, as set forth in the Interim Guidance for Construction Activities during the COVID-19 Health Emergency, are met. The interim guidance standards require that before reopening construction activities, property owners and contractors must establish a safety plan, submit an affirmation to New York state, and then post both the site safety plan and the affirmation conspicuously at the job site for inspection. 

The Interim Guidance for Construction Activities sets minimum standards for all construction activities and contains three distinct categories:

1. People: Regarding physical distancing, gatherings in enclosed spaces, workplace activities, and movement and commerce.

2. Places: Regarding protective equipment, hygiene, cleaning, disinfection, phased reopening, and communications plan.

3. Processes: Regarding screening, testing, tracing and tracking. Of course, co-op and condo boards are free to implement stricter requirements than those the state and city have mandated......