Coronavirus: Stormont construction sector guidance 'adds little clarity'

The construction industry has said that Stormont guidance on priority industries still leaves it unclear whether building sites should be operating during the ongoing lockdown.

The new guidance is advisory rather than legally binding, meaning it is up to each firm to decide what to do.

The Construction Employers Federation (CEF) said the new official advice "adds little clarity to the situation".

It provided its own guidance at the start of the current lockdown.

The CEF's concerns are echoed by the Royal Society of Ulster Architects (RSUA).

It said firms operating in other markets have been given clearer guidance.

"Clients are still in the position of being quite unclear as to whether construction sites should start," said RSUA director Ciaran Fox.

"It's unclear whether it should only be these priority sectors.

"In every other jurisdiction in the UK and Ireland, it's quite clear now what projects should proceed and what projects shouldn't and we are seeking the same clarity in Northern Ireland."

The Stormont list describes priority construction work as work relating to the health service, other emergency services, food manufacturing, logistics and utilities.

However, BBC News NI is aware of workers involved in projects that do not come under that description who have been told their sites are reopening this week and they are expected to return to work.

The Department for the Economy said: “There are a large number and wide variety of businesses and an assessment of each business is inevitably fact-specific.

• NI building sites 'can continue to operate'

"It is, therefore, for each business, in light of its own legal advice, to determine whether it can continue to operate in accordance with the Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2020 and the guidance that has been produced."

The Health and Safety Executive NI said that construction work can continue "if done in accordance with the PHA (Public Health Agency)/PHE (Public Health Executive) guidelines on hygiene and social distancing".

"Where it is not possible to follow the social distancing guidelines in full in relation to a particular activity, consideration should be given as to whether the activity needs to continue," it added.

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Meanwhile, the CEF said that when sites open more widely it cannot be business as usual.

"There will be issues around additional costs and productivity arising out of these changes in the way we work," CEF managing director John Armstrong said.

"And there is no doubt that the way we work will change and will change for some period of time.

"So what we're urging is that contractors and clients work together and we are urging the clients, in particular, to be empathetic and sympathetic to contractors to ensure that these issues can be overcome in a pragmatic and a sensible way."