UK Infrastructure Recovery

How does the UK economy recover whilst Coronavirus (COVID-19) is still a threat? England’s initial announcement of full lockdown was given on the 23^rd March 2020, at that point many construction sites were closed. 10^th May the lockdown restrictions were slightly eased with garden centres reopening along with some construction sites starting to open. 16th June 2020 some schools began to open their doors back to students (specific school years only). The UK has been in some form of lockdown for the past 15 weeks and with further businesses to reopen lockdown looks to continue for a few more weeks.  So how are the government planning to kickstart the economy and get the UK moving again despite COVID-19 still prevalent.

The Prime Minister announcement regarding the UK infrastructure recovery plan is to focus on the construction industry to help the economy bounce back. This means that the governments investment pledge will create further construction projects across road, rail, hospitals and schools all resulting in more jobs for the industry and hopefully providing the younger generations with employment opportunities.

Safety Measures

As we are still fighting Coronavirus (COVID-19) and with the plan to revive the economy one major concern is the safety of the workforce. Regardless of Coronavirus (COVID-19) health and safety within the construction industry is taken very seriously. Additional measures are needed to be put in place in order to keep employers and staff safe and protected.

There are a number of safety checklists and forms which have been implemented for employers to use to ensure that there is a continuous effort to staying safe.

Resources

The Construction Leadership Council (CLC) have a number of Site Operating Procedure documents to help construction companies Protect your workforce

The Health and Safety Executive – Keeping safe on the construction sites are not the only areas of concern, but also travelling to and from the workplace is a major concern. HES have also put together a step by step plan to ensure safety at work – Working safely during the coronavirus outbreak

Understanding the guidelines are essential to keep workers, staff and general public safe. Minimising another peak in Coronavirus (COVID-19) infections is paramount. The situation of Coronavirus (COVID) is constantly evolving. Unfortunately one local lockdown in Leicester has been activated, these measures and guidelines are vital to keep yourself and others safe.