Reddy Kancharla: Construction During the COVID-19 Pandemic

COVID-19: Essential Services

Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, numerous states issued stay-at-home orders and closed businesses. But the authorities deemed construction necessary in several states and allowed it to continue operations except for temporary lockdowns whenever necessary.

However, Reddy Kancharla believes the sector faces numerous direct and indirect obstacles due to the worldwide pandemic despite remaining open for operations. Workers must deal with the consequences like schedule revisions, daily cleaning on project sites and in the office and increasing material pricing and lead times.

Additionally, projected employment losses, disruptions in subcontractor and developer relationships, and the collapse of specific construction sectors were all indirect effects that professionals in the construction sector had to deal with throughout the pandemic. But, despite the pandemic’s adverse effects, Reddy Kancharla believes there are still positive changes that resulted from the pandemic, and there are ways to deal with a slew of new obstacles:

1. Follow social distance guidelines and restrict your gatherings.

The United States federal government issued regulations and instructions to help prevent and slow the spread of COVID-19. These include maintaining a social distance of at least six feet and restricting gatherings to no more than ten people. So, Reddy Kancharla believes it is best to follow these rules for everyone’s safety, even on construction sites.

2. Learn how to deal with symptomatic personnel.

Reddy Kancharla believes it is best for any employee who is not feeling well or exhibiting any signs of illness to stay at home. The time it takes for a worker to return to the job site depends on various conditions, but it typically ranges from three to fourteen days. Reddy believes waiting for a few days is much better than risking everyone’s safety and health.

3. Be ready to deal with positive COVID-19 cases.

There is a good possibility that, at some point, a worker will test positive for COVID-19. In those cases, Reddy Kancharla recommends, it is best to prepare before it occurs or gets out of control. Here are some recommendations:

● Request that the infected employee leaves the site as soon as possible.

● Inform a supervisor and the site management.

● Temporarily stop operations, conduct contact tracing, disinfect the site, and quarantine anyone who encountered the infected employee. 

● Inform subcontractors and clients of the situation while preserving the names of the affected personnel.