KUALA LUMPUR, June 4 — The standard operation procedure (SOP) best practices can help prevent the transmission of Covid-19 at construction sites and enable construction projects to continue to stimulate the country’s economic development.
The Construction Industry Development Board (CIDB) said this is important as the construction sector recorded an average project value of RM140 billion annually.
It said the sector also has two times multiplier effect to another sector which means that every RM1 invested would produce RM2 or more in 120 related economic activities.
“Therefore, industry players are responsible to ensure compliance of all SOPs relating to the movement control order (MCO) to safeguard workers safety and prevent the spread of Covid-19 at construction sites and their surrounding areas,” CIDB said in a post on its Facebook page.
CIDB said a recent visit to Gamuda Land’s TwentyFive Seven mixed-development project site in Kota Kemuning, Selangor showed that the developer, as well as the contractor, have the ability to comply with the SOP and implement the project in accordance with new norms.
The visit was led by Works Ministry secretary-general Datuk Dr Syed Omar Sharifuddin Syed Ikhsan and CIDB chief executive Datuk Ir Ahmad ‘Asri Abdul Hamid.
Among the initiatives taken by the contractor, Gamuda Engineering Sdn Bhd, was to develop a special application to record workers attendance and their health status, as well detection of movements to avoid trespassing on the project site during working hours.
Apart from that, the contractor also separated the rest areas for workers at different levels according to their field of works at the site to ensure social distancing during breaks.
Among the SOPs that needed to be complied at all construction sites include ensuring all foreign workers undergo Covid-19 screening tests and verified free of infection before starting work.
From April 20 to June 2, CIDB inspected 6,363 construction sites nationwide, of which, 1,398 sites or 22 per cent had resumed operations while 4,965, or 78 per cent have yet to operate.
Of the 1,398 sites in operation, 1,118 (80 per cent) have complied with the SOPs, while 272 (19 per cent) have been warned for non-compliance and eight (one per cent) were ordered to cease operations.
All the sites involved positive Covid-19 cases detected at workers accommodations during lab tests conducted on workers before they returned to the construction sites. — Bernama
