City of Boston Announces Staged Construction Restart, Outlines Expanded Categories and Key Dates

In a memo from Chief of Operations Patrick Brophy, Mayor Martin J. Walsh announced last night that Boston will incrementally expand its categories of allowed construction to further align with Governor Charlie D. Baker’s Order regarding essential construction services. Key dates – which are subject to change – are described below. All construction will be required to comply with the City’s previously-announced COVID-19 Safety Policy for Construction, which requires the submission of a COVID-19 Safety Plan and a signed COVID-19 Affidavit. At no time will the City of Boston permit any construction beyond what is allowed by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts as an essential construction project.
 

KEY DATES:

• May 5, 2020 – Projects defined as essential construction under Governor Baker’s Order, and which have in place approved Safety Plans and have submitted signed affidavits, are authorized to prepare the site with project-specific COVID-19 safety measures.
• May 18, 2020 - The City of Boston will allow construction on project sites that meet the following criteria: (1) projects are permitted, in compliance and have filed a COVID-19 Safety Plan and a signed affidavit; (2) they are sufficiently prepared to adhere to all criteria of their safety plan; and (3) the work is for hospitals, public schools, residential buildings with 1-3 units, road and utility work, or other outdoor/open air-work such as steel erection, roofing and constructing foundations.
• May 26, 2020 - The City of Boston will allow all essential construction projects (as defined by Governor Baker's Order) to re-commence construction activities in adherence to their safety plans.

SAFETY & WORKER PROTECTION:
In order to ensure safety of essential work, Mayor Walsh and the City have partnered with the Tufts Medical Center to provide testing services for the industry at the Tufts COVID-19 Screening Clinic at the Josiah Quincy Elementary School located at 885 Washington Street in Chinatown.

COVID-19 SAFETY POLICY:
Effective as of April 27, 2020, all construction sites must submit a COVID-19 Safety Plan and a COVID-19 Safety Affidavit.

COVID-19 Safety Plan: Must outline job site practices that the contractor will follow to protect worker safety. More information on the required contents of each COVID-19 Safety Plan, including the City's Safety Plan Worksheet, is available here.

COVID-19 Safety Affidavit: Available here, attests that the contractor has created, provided to the City, and will implement its COVID-19 Safety Plan.