It has been a little over two weeks since COVID-19 began changing how we work, interact and do business. We have had to quickly adapt, navigate new challenges and importantly, enhance measures to keep our people, workplaces and communities safe and healthy.
Safety has always been paramount to our industry’s success. And now, more than ever, that is the case. Several jurisdictions in North America have seen a partial or complete mandated shut down of their construction and building industries due to COVID-19. At this time, we remain open and operational – likely because of our strong track record of safety, and additional protocols put in place the last two weeks.
That said, we need to remain thoughtful, consistent and diligent in our approach. The safety of employees and contractors is and must continue to be everyone’s top priority whether that be in the field, in a show home or in an office environment. We have heard concerns in the media, on social media and through other more direct channels that some of our industry workers don’t feel safe – particularly on large job sites and in show homes. This is unacceptable. It puts people at risk. It puts companies that engage in this behaviour at risk of fines and legal action. It puts our industry at risk.
In order to keep workplaces operational, we need to collectively have consistent programs and high standards in place to both keep people protected and ensure that they feel safe. We need to make sure that everyone – from management to staff to contractors, support and practice enhanced safety protocols. It is imperative we work together to ensure our industry stays strong and safe throughout this crisis.
We are here to support you in that – we’ve created a COVID-19 online resource with best practices, municipality updates, links to resources and up-to-date government information. Our BILD staff are also available to answer questions and point you to resources to enable you to ensure the right things are happening on your job sites, for all your people.
Things are ever-changing as we navigate this health crisis. We will continue to provide you regular updates on changes that affect your business, our communities and people.
Stay safe, stay well.