Construction projects will be permitted to resume in-person operations on May 1, with conditions, state and Delaware County officials revealed Thursday and Friday.

“As we start to take steps to reopen the state, we recognize that the construction industry is vital to Pennsylvania’s economy and may operate safely with stringent guidance in place that will protect employees and the public,” stated Gov. Tom Wolf in a press release from the governor’s office.

• Workers at construction sites must wear a face mask unless they are unable to do so for medical or safety reasons.
• Construction projects must maintain proper social distancing.
• Hand washing and sanitation stations must be provided for workers.
• Construction projects located in high risk COVID-19 transmission areas must have cleaning and sanitation protocols.
• Construction businesses must have protocols in place upon discovery that the business has been exposed to a person who is a probable or confirmed case of COVID-19.
• Businesses must identify a pandemic safety security officer for each project or work site.
• Firms should establish a written safety plan for each work location containing site specific details for implementing the state guidance on COVID-19 protocols, shared with all workers and enforced by the pandemic safety officer.
• Residential construction projects may not have more than four individuals on the job site at any one time, not including individuals who require temporary access to the site and are not directly engaged in the construction activity.
• The number of individuals on site for non-residential or commercial projects varies depending on the size of the proposed site.

Contractors doing work for the state, municipality or school district should check with those public entities to see if the work should continue.

Local governments can impose stricter requirements for construction work than what the state is requiring.

You can read more about the pandemic construction guidelines at Delaware County’s COVID-19 website here.