The Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB) has called on the government to set up covid-19 testing stations on major construction sites around the UK to enable any outbreaks to be tracked and traced as quickly as possible.
The CIOB said it hoped the proposal to integrate major sites
into the NHS Test and Trace system would help workers to operate safely without
further transmission of the virus, helping the industry to bounce back quickly.
Its call came as part of the CIOB's recent submission to a consultation on covid-19 recovery by the Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Select Committee.
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CIOB's recommendation on embedded test centres is one of a
number of measures proposed by the institute to help get the industry back on
its feet as the country recovers from covid-19.
It said: "The construction industry is set to play a
key role in restarting the economy and facilitating national recovery, and it
is therefore crucial that the industry receives the support it needs to return
to work and cope with the ongoing impacts of the coronavirus pandemic. Thought
must be given to the immediate challenges around resuming construction work, as
well as the long-term need for a stable pipeline of future work and the
retention of the sector’s skills base."
With over 86% of construction sites in England and Wales
open, there is a significant opportunity to locate covid-19 testing stations on
– or in close proximity to – some of the UK’s major construction sites, it
added.
Eddie Tuttle, director of policy, research & public
affairs at CIOB, said: “Construction workers are increasingly returning to
sites all around the country. We are urging the government to fully integrate
construction sites into the new NHS Test and Trace System so construction
workers won’t need to travel to get regular tests, risking further transmission
of the virus in the process. This will help the construction sector – which is
a vital part of the UK economy – to get back to full strength with confidence.
It will also help improve public trust in the sector, which has been battling
to keep essential infrastructure projects moving. Under our proposals the
public will be sure that construction is doing everything it can to keep the
virus under control.”
