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VIC State of Disaster requirements for civil construction: Update

According to the Business Victoria website, civil construction sites are excluded from restrictions on small and large-scale construction sites.

However all civil construction sites, as with any construction site, are required to have a High Risk COVIDSafe Plan.

The website says civil construction, both private and public works, is not subject to additional restrictions as it involves low-risk activities usually in the open air.

This applies to all works in metropolitan Melbourne areas under Stage 4 restrictions.

Business Victoria advises that all staff should wear the required personal protective equipment (PPE) at all times. Specialist workers who may be required to move between sites will require enhanced PPE and hygiene measures and be restricted to attending one site each day. There will be checks to ensure industry is wearing PPE.

Other construction of critical and essential infrastructure and services to support these projects will continue under COVID-19 safety procedures. Small and large scale construction sites are subject to some restrictions. 

All workers are now required to have a worker permit when travelling to and from work, which should be issued by the employer. The template can be downloaded from the Victorian Department of Health and Human Services website. This requirement came into place at 11.59pm on Wednesday 5 August, 2020.

The CCF Victoria has confirmed that a COVIDSafe Plan must be in place for all construction sites by 11.59pm Friday 7 August 2020. It said enforcement will be possible from Monday 10 August.

The industry body found the Business Victoria website provides a COVID-19 Safety Plan template and guidelines and a ‘high risk’ template is proposed to be developed.

In the interim, the CCF Victoria is urging contractors to complete their ‘high risk’ plans on the government template alongside using the Coronavirus (COVID-19) guidelines for the building and construction industry Victoria (revision 6). Then the Stage 4 restriction guidance can be built into plans.

On small and large-scale construction sites the CCF Victoria pushed for a “one site / one day” rule which has been rejected.

Instead, supervisors and trades specialist can move between up to 3 sites per week, subject to enhanced COVID-19 safe practices. The CCF Victoria is seeking clarification on the requirements of enhanced safe practices and PPE.

All employees, supervisors and on-site specialists are also prohibited from car-pooling and must inform their employer if they share residence with anyone in another high-risk workplace.

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