Last week we discussed, in light of the encouragement
from Robert Jenrick MP (Secretary of State for Housing, Communities
and Local Government) for the construction industry to remobilise,
the government's apparent reluctance to provide confidence and
clarity for the construction industry in respect of the safe
operation of sites.
In the Prime Minister's address to the nation on 10 May
2020, he re-stated that encouragement for the construction
industry, where possible, to return to work.
Construction sites have been allowed to remain open provided
current guidelines are adhered to, including social distancing
recommendations. We commented last week that in issuing guidelines
for safety alongside mandatory rules (namely the Coronavirus Act
2020), the Government created significant ambiguity as to whether
or not those guidelines were themselves mandatory or merely
advisory. The short point is that it has, for the most part, been
left to employers and contractors to
