May 8, 2020
In the two months since Governor Gavin Newsom’s Stay at Home Order was enacted across the state, construction has largely continued in Los Angeles County despite guidelines and protocols enacted by local officials seeking to make job sites safe during the ongoing pandemic. We previously covered impacts and developments from the Coronavirus in Los Angeles County on April 8, 2020.
The City of Los Angeles has been led by Mayor Eric Garcetti in focusing efforts to enable essential business, including many construction projects, to continue with safety precautions. Mayor Garcetti established a Stage 2 process to begin on May 8, 2020, to allow additional businesses to operate on a careful and phased basis. The Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety has produced Guidelines for Inspections by City Personnel, as well as Safety Guidelines that all construction projects must comply with.
To obtain the City of Los Angeles’s COVID-19 Safety Guidelines for Construction Sites, please click here. To obtain the City of Los Angeles’s City Inspections COVID-19 Guidelines, please click here. The City of Los Angeles also requires the completion of a Social Distancing Protocol, which must be posted near worksite entrances and distributed to all employees. A copy of the blank protocol form can be obtained here.
In addition to the City, the County of Los Angeles Department of Public Works developed its own Guidelines for Construction Sites during the COVID-19 Pandemic. The County of Los Angeles’s recommendations are based on the recent guidelines published by the CDC and Cal/OSHA. To obtain the County of Los Angeles’s COVID-19 Construction Guidelines, please click here. The County has also developed modified procedures for submittal and pick-up of Construction Plans that can be viewed here.
While construction has largely continued in and around Los Angeles, recent media reports have raised issues with worksite contamination, non-compliance issues, and delays resulting from social distancing and other mandated policies. If these or other issues are affecting your construction project or worksite in and around Los Angeles, please contact a construction attorney who can assist you with your specific issues.
Visit our COVID-19 Hub for ongoing updates.