As an industry it seems as though we had just got through the chaos that was Brexit and the recent bad weather, and before we can even take a breath along comes the coronavirus for us to contend with.
The news so far this year had been positive, the ‘Boris bounce’ effect since the election has seen the UK construction industry begin to recover from a nine month slowdown with levels of overall workloads rapidly rising in February at their fastest pace since December 2015.
Now fears are growing that the rebound might only be temporary due to the renewed uncertainty over the impact of the coronavirus. Indeed, there are already growing reports of supply chain disruptions linked to the coronavirus and the shutting down of a large number of factories across China in an attempt to contain the outbreak.
The reality is today’s global construction industry is heavily reliant on Chinese products including wood, cement, paints, steel, plaster, aluminium, glazing systems, HVAC equipment, and of course lighting and electrical equipment.
The problem is made even more alarming because no one knows the scale of the impact should the problem grow. Estimates of 20% of the UK’s workforce being affected – over 6 million people – and forced to stay home have many worried, especially as the NHS had now declared the problem a ‘Level Four’ incident, the highest level of alert, as officials brace for a surge
in coronavirus cases in the coming weeks.
Andrew Bailey, chief of the Bank of England has said that there would be ‘damage’ to the economy from the virus, saying small firms in particular would need help with ‘supply chain finance’ in the ‘not very distant future’.
For businesses the primary focus has to be the health and wellbeing of all staff and their families and mitigating the risk of spreading the illness. The statistics are worrying as just one person could potentially infect hundreds on any construction project, meaning the project would have to close for weeks.
A number of firms, including Laing O’Rourke have banned non-essential travel and instructed employees to hold meetings remotely or work from home where practical.
However, avoiding coronavirus might not be easy for those earning their living in the construction industry. Remote working isn’t often an option and for many contractors taking a sick day means not getting paid and of course the construction industry is filled with jobs where you have a high amount of contact with other people, making it easy for you to not only catch the virus but also pass it on.
Boris Johnson has unveiled the government’s ‘battle plan’ for dealing with a major outbreak in this country and an advertising campaign to try to control the virus by changing people’s attitude to hygiene, amid growing concerns that coronavirus could become a seasonal problem, has been launched.
The new advice is:
- wash your hands more often and especially whenever you arrive somewhere, blow your nose, cough or sneeze, and before you eat or handle food.
- washing should be for 20 seconds, using soap and water or hand sanitiser.
- avoid social contact as much as possible for an estimated three months until the crisis peaks, with employees advised to work from home if possible.
Health Secretary Matt Hancock has said: “We all have a role to play in stopping this disease and that’s what this expanded campaign is all about
– making sure the public knows exactly what they should be doing to keep themselves and others safe.”
“Washing hands regularly is the single most important thing that an individual can do.”