It is alarming that so much confusion reigned as we went to press over whether or not construction sites should close down, with the Scottish Government initially saying work should stop on all but ‘essential’ projects while the Westminster government was allowing sites to open. This led to the situation in Scotland of some companies following Scottish government advice and some taking the Westminster lead. We hadn’t heard of any deciding to hedge their bets by closing some while keeping others open, but who could blame anyone who did?
Scottish Government First Minister Nicola Sturgeon was quick off the mark in advising that construction sites should close down, unless they are essential projects such as a hospital. The First Minister’s idea of essential might differ from that of many. For one thing hospitals are long term projects, beset by delays, and offhand we can’t think of any major ones planned to come into service in time to play a significant part in combatting the coronavirus. There are other things that the country might need more immediately, ahead of another hospital which is some years in the offing.
The Scottish Government has since issued guidance on what construction work it considers essential, and all projects are to shut down unless they are: essential to the health and welfare of the country during this crisis; or supporting (or being repurposed to support) essential services; or capable of working in a way which is fully consistent with established social distancing advice; or wider public health, health and safety or other considerations apply and require a facility or service to continue to operate or a specific period of time for a safe shutdown process to be completed.
UK wide, the response from contractors has been confused with some swiftly moving to site closures but others insisting that they will stay open, subject to enhanced health and safety measures such as social distancing and having sanitisers and other hygiene products to hand at key points on sites. The Scottish Government guidance above however seems to permit almost any sites to operate as long as social distancing measures are put in place and adhered to.
The essential to health and welfare category above comprises ‘Critical National Infrastructure’ (CNI) facilities, systems, sites and networks ‘necessary for the functioning of the country and the delivery of the essential services upon which daily life in Scotland depends’, and there are 13 designated CNI sectors, such as energy and health. But not everything and everybody within a national infrastructure sector is ‘critical’.
Work on further guidance was on going as we went to press and unless and until such guidance is issued, non-essential construction sites in Scotland were to stay closed. It is hard for any government to be sure it is doing the right thing in the face of a challenges like the Covid-19 epidemic. Let’s hope all the UK’s governments and agencies will take such a sanguine attitude if confused contractors find themselves judged to have responded properly against such a confused background.
Nick Barrett
Editor