Construction Workers Amidst COVID-19

For almost a year now, most of the country has been practicing social distancing and even lockdowns to slow the spread of COVID-19, a virulent pandemic on the forefront of everyone’s mind worldwide. But that doesn’t stop the need for home improvement. In fact, as most of us spend more and more time at home, we may find that we need more home improvement projects than ever before.

So what do you do when you need to bring in construction workers to work on your home, but you don’t want to put anyone in your family at risk for COVID-19? How can you ensure the health of your home and the people who live in it? In today’s blog, let’s discuss how construction workers are operating amidst COVID-19.

Essential Workers

Even in Texas, many businesses have closed or limited their operations in order to help people social distance during the COVID-19 pandemic. But there are always some businesses that need to remain in operation for others to live their lives. These include grocery stores, medical facilities, and housing or shelter professionals, to name a few. 

In the midst of the pandemic, construction workers have also been listed as essential workers so that they can continue to offer home improvements to homeowners who need them. These businesses might take safety precautions or change the way they do business, but they do remain open throughout the pandemic, and you can schedule your project as you might normally. 

Construction Worker COVID-19 Precautions

Long before the COVID-19 pandemic, construction workers prioritized the best practices to safely perform home construction like roof repair or replacement. It’s important for construction workers to be able to do their jobs without any damage to the house or injury to any of the people working on the job. 

In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, safety precautions have changed. Now construction workers have to not only take precautions against workplace accidentsbut against catching or unknowingly spreading COVID-19 to clients. Some of these precautions include:

• Wearing face masks and PPE and avoiding physical contact
• Training on the symptoms of COVID-19
• Washing hands with hand sanitizer or hot water and soap for at least 20 seconds
• Driving to work sites individually when possible
• Requesting that clients exposed to COVID-19 remain separated from the construction workers and communicate via phone or text

Have any questions about the PPE and other COVID-19 precautions that construction workers will take? Don’t be afraid to contact them and ask so you can have your home improvement work done in complete confidence.

Construction Workers & Vaccinations 

Though the COVID-19 pandemic seems to have gone on forever, we’re beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel as vaccinations begin to roll out. Due to the limited number of vaccinations, the CDC has been prioritizing who receives vaccinations in what order. The first, of course, is reserved for health care professionals. The second phase of vaccinations is for the elderly and “frontline workers,” such as first responders, teachers, US Postal Service workers, public transit, corrections, and agriculture workers. 

Construction workers will be part of phase 1C of the vaccination rollout, with the rest of the essential workers in the country. Though it’s still too early to have a set date as to when phase 1C will begin, it should be early on in the vaccination process. Once phase 1C begins, it helps to ask your contractor if the construction workers have been vaccinated or plan to be vaccinated before the work begins.

Tips For Home Improvement During COVID-19

Again, even while social distancing, sometimes home improvement issues are simply unavoidable. A storm can still damage your roof, or you may still begin to notice leaks that would put you in need of a roof replacement. Since it’s uncertain when the quarantine will end, it’s best to hire a construction worker to repair or replace your roof now before it causes more issues for your home. 

That said, you can take steps to protect yourself in the midst of the project. Hiring the right contractors who take the threat of COVID-19 seriously is the first thing you can do. Beyond that, here are a few of our tips:

• Have external home improvement done, such as roofing or other projects. 
• Keep a mask on if you interact with construction workers and wash your hands regularly.
• Contact construction workers by phone or text whenever necessary.
• Warn any construction workers if you’ve been exposed to COVID-19 recently and separate yourself or postpone the project until after you have quarantined for a certain amount of time.
• Ask if any construction workers on the job have been exposed to COVID-19. 
• Encourage all members of your household to adhere to the same health and safety practices.
• Work with an in-house team rather than subcontractors so that your construction company can assure their trustworthiness. 

This is an uncertain time, but we are beginning to see the end of the pandemic. Hopefully, by the end of the year, we’ll begin to return to construction work without taking these precautions. In the meantime, it’s more important than ever to hire a construction worker that you can trust. Houston Roofing is a truly local Houston company who has earned the distinction of a GAF Master Elite Roofer through our meticulous roofing and commitment to excellence. 

Need roofing work done amid the pandemic? Contact Houston Roofing today for more information or to get started with a free estimate.