MCO: Daily screenings on workers among SOPs set for construction sector

PUTRAJAYA, April 22 -- Providing thermal scanners and screenings for COVID-19 on workers at construction sites are among the conditions that need to be fulfilled by contractors and companies that are allowed to operate during the Movement Control Order (MCO) period.

Senior Minister of Works Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof said body temperature checks and screenings for symptoms such as coughing, sore throat or breathing difficulties must be conduct daily at construction site entrances.

“Those at the construction sites are only allowed to operate five days a week from 8 am until 5.30pm,” he told a press conference on the standard operating procedure (SOP) for the Construction sector to operate during MCO here today.

Under the SOP, contractors and construction companies are also required to provide transportation for workers, ensure social distancing is observed and number of workers at the sites is minimised to not more than 50 per cent of the requirements on normal days.

In addition, workers tasked with deskjobs such as clercal works, designing and so forth are  encouraged to complete them at home.

Fadillah said contractors and companies must designate someone such as the Safety and Health Officer (SHO), Site Safety Supervisor (SSS) or the owner of the company who will responsible in ensuring the SOP compliance.

“Each worker is required to download the MySejahtera application for contact tracing purposes,” he said.

Fadillah said the SOP encompasses three aspects namely prevention at construction sites, workers’ movement and workers' quarters.

It involves SOP on the Permission to Operate and Wokers’ Movement for Construction Projects during the MCO; COVID-19 Prevention Practices Guidelines at Construction Sites; Centralised Labour Quarters (CLQ) Operations Guidelines and Construction Workers’ Accommodation during the MCO.

The SOP documents can be accessed through the application.miti.gov.my/daftardanwww.cidb.gov.my link.

Fadillah said monitoring and enforcement operations would also be conducted to ensure full compliane of the SOP.

Any violation of the SOP may be subject to action under the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases Act 1988 (Act 342) and the Construction Industry Development Board Malaysia Act 1994 (Act 520), he added.

-- BERNAMA