The day after Gov. Jay Inslee announced a plan to allow current construction projects to be completed, Irons Brothers Construction President Joseph Irons led a webinar aimed at helping educate construction companies on practices aimed at helping other residential builders return to work.

The webinar, attended by more than 600 builders, was hosted by the Building Industry Association of Washington, where Irons serves as treasurer and is a BIAW Certified Builder. Many of those on the call were residential builders and remodeler business owners, as well as suppliers, subcontractors and other industry leaders.

“Don’t work if you can’t work safely,” Irons advised, adding that by promoting job site safety practices, the construction industry can follow the governor’s plan to help contain the virus.

The requirements developed by the governor’s work group are as follows:

1) Restart existing construction projects with COVID-19 safety plans that allow work which only can be performed while meeting social distancing requirements.

2) Prior to recommencing work, all contractors are required to develop and post at each job site a comprehensive COVID-19 exposure control, mitigation and recovery plan.

3) All contractors are required to post at each job site a written notice to employees, subcontractors and government officials the work that will be performed at that job site and a signed commitment to adhere to the requirements.

4) All contractors have a general obligation to keep a safe and healthy job site in accordance with state and federal law.

Irons shared his company’s essential work best-practices to keep his employees, trade partners, and clients safe.  The Irons Brothers team, along with some of their trade partners, have been performing “essential work” over the past couple weeks. His team has posted signs, educated trade partners, assembled hand-washing stations, and much more to adapt to the new normal.

Most of these practices have always been in place at his firm, and are in place in many other companies statewide, since professionals in construction utilize job site best practices to meet Washington State regulations. “The plan has added a few more precautions to help keep everyone, including the building officials and homeowner, safe during our construction work,”  Irons said.

The webinar presentation will be available on the BIAW website, along with posters, forms, and other educational information for businesses at biaw.com/COVID19

Irons Brothers Construction was a recent recipient of the (NAHB) National Association of Home Builders 2019 Safety Award. The company has been practicing social distancing and remote work for their entire team of 13 since Gov. Inslee’s Stay at Home, Stay Healthy orders.

Learn more about Irons Brothers here.