New update of the OPPBTP health safety recommendations guide

A new national protocol to ensure the health and safety of employees in companies was published on August 31 by the Ministry of Labor. New health rules are applicable from September 1. The OPPBTP is therefore updating its Guide to health safety recommendations for the continuity of construction activities, in accordance with this new protocol and with the recommendations of the High Council for Public Health.

The OPPBTP recalls in particular that the epidemic has not disappeared and that it is necessary to remain very vigilant by continuing to apply barrier and hygiene measures to avoid contamination.

This new version of the guide gives the definition of closed collective places applied to worksites, and adapts the sanitary provisions on the wearing of the mask and their transcription on the worksites, with particularities to be taken into account:

On sites considered as closed collective places (closed and covered worksites from the moment when all the exterior openings are installed, by level or in full): application of the rules and exceptions which prevail in the workshops. It is possible not to wear a mask for employees, as long as the ventilation / functional aeration conditions comply with the regulations; that the number of people present in the work area is limited; that these people respect the greatest possible distance between them, including when moving, and wear a visor and that the work activity does not require specific respiratory protection.
On outdoor sites: it is not compulsory to wear a mask, except in the case of work less than one meter from another person or in doubt about the possibility of organizing the work to respect the minimum distance of 1 meter. For work exposed to bad weather, the combination of a face shield or visor is recommended to protect the mask from rain.
On non-enclosed outdoor sites in public spaces, in the event of an exemption from wearing a mask in public spaces, companies are invited to contact the competent authorities to agree on any exceptions. In the event of an enclosed site separate from the public space (full high fence, for example), wearing a mask is not compulsory.
Wearing a mask is mandatory when working on a person at risk severe form of Covid-19 or in a sick person.

The OPPBTP also updates the recommendations for car travel. Thus, the presence of several employees in a vehicle is possible, provided that each one wears a mask, to respect the hand hygiene protocol and that there is an effective procedure for cleaning / disinfecting the vehicle.

The OPPBTP also enriches the practical documents made available to companies with the publication of a sheet "Adaptation and exemptions to wearing a mask". This sheet, like all the tools and documents are gathered in the Covid-19 Toolbox available on the site preventionbtp.fr.

“The OPPBTP guide has demonstrated its importance since its first edition in helping construction and public works companies face the Covid-19 epidemic. An update was necessary to clarify certain points concerning the wearing of a mask and in particular to give companies the essential elements to adapt these rules to the specificities of their sites. In addition, during this back-to-school period, the OPPBTP recalls that the necessary mobilization on Covid-19 must not obscure the particular attention to be maintained on all the “traditional” risks of the sites: risk of falls and collisions, risks related to electricity, machinery, chemicals, carrying loads and postures. Also beware of possible employee absences and the temptation to do anything! "
- Paul Duphil, Secretary General of the OPPBTP

The new version of the guide is available on the website of preventionbtp.fr.