COVID-19 DISRUPTION & RESPONSE


economic impact of project slowdowns or navigating new ways to keep employees connected remotely, California contractors have faced an array of challenges and impacts from COVID-19 since the pandemic was declared in March. AGC contractors implemented


Contractors Face Coronavirus-Related Challenges W


By Carol Eaton


hether instituting new jobsite safety protocols, contending with the


Approximately 15 of


Turner’s Bay Area jobs were initially impacted by the shutdown, Bowers said. When projects got the green light to reopen on May 4th, only two Turner projects at Oakland and San Francisco airports remained shut down at the client’s request due to broader economic factors impacting those clients.


a variety of solutions to keep their companies functioning and projects moving forward in the face of those challenges. California Constructor talked with some of them for this issue and will continue the conversation next issue as we take a closer look at technology- based solutions and best practices.


Market Sector Slowdowns Merrill Bowers, Bay Area Vice


President and General Manager of Turner Construction, said that market impacts to clients have posed some of the biggest challenges so far. As clients in market sectors like aviation, hospitality and commercial offices experience slowdowns requiring projects to be put on hold, contractors have shared the pain. “We work in virtually every market segment and as our clients are impacted, we are also impacted,” Bowers said. “One of our biggest jobs in the region is for SFO, and it’s very clear why that project has been temporarily suspended.” Turner proactively began preparing


for the shutdown before the state’s first shelter-in-place order was issued on March 16, closing “non-essential” jobsites in six Bay Area counties. Beginning in late February 2020, a national Turner taskforce began assessing potential impacts from COVID-19 on their staff, their supply chains and their clients and began formulating plans for new jobsite safety protocols.


www.AGC-CA.org


New Jobsite Protocols


Jobsites reopened with


an array of new safety protocols designed to maintain worker health and safety. Tese ranged from daily jobsite entry screenings including temperature checks, to additional handwashing stations, staggered start times, new guidelines for hoist and elevator usage and mandatory face coverings. In planning work, teams optimize crew size for the specific square footage of work area to ensure adequate physical distancing. As a tool to reinforce physical distancing, Turner and other contractors have tested new technologies such as hardhat sensors that alert workers if they are less than six feet from another worker. Tose enhanced safety protocols


have been generally well received, according to Bowers. “Te feedback from the trades is they appreciate that a screening process and mitigation measures are in place to ensure safety.” On a shared BioMed Realty jobsite


in South San Francisco, Turner, DPR, Dome Construction and Hathaway Dinwiddie worked collaboratively to implement a joint logistics plan and protocols that incorporated COVID-19 measures, Bowers said. “Tere was a lot of good idea


sharing,” he said. “Te bottom line is how do we keep our people safe, and


Rending of BioMed Gateway of Pacific, courtesy of Flad Architects. Multiple contractors collaborated on joint protocols for worker safety on the campus.


how do we make sure we’re keeping one another safe in zones where everybody is working? As GCs we have a lot of our trade partners in common and lots of clients in common. It makes sense to be consistent as an industry.”


Design Delay Impacts Matt Seals of Fresno-based Seals


Construction said his company has also experienced various challenges including some project slowdowns as a result of the pandemic, most notably in the healthcare and religious sector among others. “Some projects are on hold indefinitely on the healthcare side of things right now,” he noted. Another big concern is the future


impact of the pauses in the planning and design of projects that occurred during the shutdown, Seals said. Some public works projects, comprising about 75% of Seals workload, have seen delays due to declines in public funding. “I think everybody is just in a


holding pattern when it comes to public works,” Seals said. “Twelve to 18 months from now, that’s where we’re likely going to feel the hit. Trying to plan for that now is hard.” 


Associated General Contractors of California 13


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