Construction Bulletin

UPDATED: Kentucky Publishes Revised Minimum Requirements and Additional Guidance for Construction Businesses to Re-open and Remain Open

May 13, 2020

The construction industry was identified as a life-sustaining business and permitted to continue operations during the beginning stages of the COVID-19 pandemic in Kentucky. At that time, the construction industry was instructed to follow all CDC recommendations while conducting business.

Then, as previously discussed in our May 8, 2020 post, the state published minimum requirements under the…

Kentucky Publishes Minimum Requirements for Construction Businesses to Re-open and Remain Open

May 8, 2020

By Executive Order 2020-257, dated March 25, 2020, Governor Beshear announced that the construction industry was a life-sustaining business and permitted to continue operations during the beginning stages of the COVID-19 pandemic in Kentucky. In this Order, the construction industry was instructed to follow all CDC recommendations while conducting business. At that time, the CDC recommendations…

OSHA COVID-19 Guidance Specific to the Construction Industry

April 27, 2020

On April 21, 2020, the Occupational Safety and Health Agency (OSHA) issued guidance specific to the construction industry to help reduce the spread of the coronavirus among the workforce.

In addition to general preventative measures (such as respiratory etiquette, hand-washing/sanitizing, and staying home if sick), OSHA further encourages construction companies to implement several other measures…

West Virginia Supreme Court Upholds State’s Right to Work Law

April 21, 2020

On April 21, 2020, the Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia upheld the constitutionality of West Virginia’s Right to Work law and reversed a circuit court decision that found otherwise. The Court has remanded the case to the circuit court with directions to enter summary judgment in favor of the State of West Virginia. The entire decision can be found here.

In 2016, the West Virginia…

COVID-19’s Impact on Construction: The New Normal

April 13, 2020

One of the many questions members of the construction industry are asking is what the industry will look like when the COVID-19 restrictions are lifted. Predicting the future is tricky at best, particularly when you consider that few of us could have predicted where we are today just 6 months ago. With that cautionary qualification, there are a few predictions that appear to be safe bets:…

AIA’s Response to COVID-19

April 9, 2020

The American Institute of Architects (AIA) created a task force to consider “the role of architects and the built environment in the current COVID-19 crisis.” On April 6, the task force published its first “Health Impact Briefing,” which discusses the use of alternative care sites (ACS) to provide healthcare operations in a non-healthcare setting or building. The task force is working to provide…

CDC Issues Interim Guidance for Critical Infrastructure Workers Who May Have Been Exposed to COVID-19

April 9, 2020

Construction firms and other critical infrastructure with employees who may have been exposed to someone with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 may allow those employees to continue working if they remain asymptomatic and they adhere to the following practices before and during their shift:

Pre-Screen: Employers should measure the employee’s temperature and assess symptoms prior to them starting…

Good News for Construction Firms

April 8, 2020

The Treasury Department issued a formal guidance for the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP)  yesterday that clarifies that companies are eligible if they meet the 500-employee threshold or the annual revenue limit, but not both. SBA had said that construction firms had to meet both to qualify, but AGC successfully persuaded the Treasury Department to change SBA’s decision.

You can find the guidance …