Here are some quick guidelines to advise members on how to re-open a building site following a positive case of COVID-19. 

 What is an 'exposure site'?  

An exposure site is a place where a confirmed case of COVID-19 has attended while they were infectious.  

Any member or one of their employees who has had contact with a confirmed case at a Tier 1 exposure site should get tested immediately for COVID-19 and must isolate for 14 days.  

Some employees at the site may be identified as Tier 2 contacts, and they should only isolate until they have returned a negative result.  

What cleaning do members need to do?  

Members do not need to close construction sites if: 

  • Evidence that high touch surfaces in areas that the confirmed COVID-19 person had been are included in routine daily and additional COVID-19 (twice daily cleaning and disinfection of high touch surfaces in communal/high traffic areas) cleaning schedules.  
  • Areas can be closed off to staff and public and high touch surfaces cleaned and disinfected,  

If less than 72 hours since an infectious case was on site: Close site immediately if the above does not apply until you can undertake a comprehensive environmental clean.  

Given the high risk of transmission in the building and construction industry, particularly in crib rooms and amenities, the Industry COVID-19 Guidelines recommend that you ALWAYS conduct a deep clean of the affected areas – this does not have to be the entire site. 

When can members re-open a site?   

Members do not need to submit their cleaning certificate or wait for approval from the Department of Health to re-open after the cleaning has been completed. In some circumstances, you may be asked to provide your cleaning certificate or await approval to re-open. The Department of Health will contact members directly to provide this advice if it applies to your business.  

Once you have quarantined the positive case and the primary close contacts, deep cleaned the affected areas of the site, and have all other (Tier 2) contacts tested and return a negative result, YOU CAN RE-OPEN YOUR SITE.  

Members do not need to get Department of Health approval to do this.  

There may be circumstances where your site presents a greater risk of transmission. The Department of Health will step in and give specific directions as to closing, cleaning, and re-opening of your site – in which case members are obliged to follow these directions.