New guidance on use of face masks published by CLC

Construction employers asked the Construction Leadership Council (CLC) for guidance on the use of face coverings in response to coronavirus to help provide a consistent approach across the industry. The current position on the use of face coverings in response to coronavirus is mandatory for members of the public in an increasing number of specified places, most of which meet all ofthe following criteria:

• enclosed public spaces
• where social distancing isn’t always possible
• where people come into contact with others they do not normally meet

The use of face coverings or PPE is not required in response to coronavirus in offices or whilst carrying out construction activities and the Government guidance on Working safely during coronavirus (COVID-19) –Construction and other outdoor work states that: ‘Workplaces should not encourage the precautionary use of extra PPE to protect against COVID-19 outside clinical settings or when responding to a suspected or confirmed case of COVID-19.’

CLC Position

The CLC’c position is that where construction workers are not required to wear PPE for their specific task and their workplace meets all of the criteria below, their employer should make available, as a minimum, face coverings when working;

• in an enclosed space
• in a place where social distancing isn’t always possible
• in a place where they come into contact with others they do not normally meet

Imporantly, the CLC also states that ‘Workers should maintain a distance of two metres, or one metre with risk mitigation where two metres is not viable.’

To view the full CLC guidance on use of face coverings please log into the BSG Hub.