30 Health and Safety Requirements Determine Which Construction Projects Can Restart in Washington

Washington Governor Jay Inslee has removed a strict prohibition on construction in the state, allowing some construction to restart under safe work requirements. 

"The revised order focuses on low-risk construction projects as part of a three-phase effort to fully restore construction activity in the state, which is critical to delivering needed infrastructure, housing, and future business opportunities," according to an article by Stephen Fesler. 

In the first phase, builders are required to follow 30 health and safety orders. "An overarching set of principles stipulated in the revised order, however, are that a project must have already been under construction prior to the order and social distancing protocols must be strictly enforced to be considered low-risk," explains Fesler. 

The Governor’s Office, the Washington State Department of Commerce, other relevant state agencies, and industry representatives worked together to create the health and safety requirement.

A recent Planetizen blog post by Kayla Matthews finds other examples from around the country of local governments and companies trying to put construction projects back to work as a short- and long-term economic stimulus during the coronavirus pandemic.