Background

HBF Wales, in conjunction with the Welsh Government has launched a house building Site Safety Charter to help construction sites reopen in line with latest health and safety guidance.

House builders are gradually returning to work after a three month layoff as a result of the coronavirus crisis.\xa0

The document demonstrates a commitment from housebuilders and the wider industry to safe working whilst Covid-19 remains prevalent as well as government support for the resumption of house building and sales activity.\xa0Stimulating house building activity can play a major part in supporting an economic recovery – as well as ensuring the supply of desperately needed new homes is maintained.

The intention is that house builders will display the Charter on their sites, reinforcing their commitment to safe working and helping reduce concerns that their workforce, neighbours and customers may have at the current time.

The charter aligns with the Welsh Government’s Coronavirus Regulations and Moving home during the coronavirus pandemic Guidance and the Workplace guidance for employers and employees: COVID19 and has been developed in agreement with \xa0CHC Community Housing Cymru and FMB Cymru \xa0Federation of Master Builders Cymru.

Speaking today Stewart Baseley, Executive Chairman of the Home Builders Federation, said:

“Over recent weeks house builders have commenced a gradual return to work, in a structured way that ensures the safety of its workforce and the general public.

“The industry sustains thousands of people in numerous roles and associated sectors, boosting local economies across Wales. A resumption of work will play a major part in helping the economy recover as well as delivering the homes the country needs.\xa0\xa0

“It should also provide the supply chain with the confidence it needs to accelerate its own restart. The\xa0Charter is the public facing evidence which supports the very detailed protocols individual builders now have in place to ensure safe working on sites.”

Minister for Housing and Local Government, Julie James said:

“The need for a secure, safe and affordable home has never been more apparent than during the coronavirus pandemic.

“The contribution of the construction industry to creating more of these homes and the economy has also been highlighted during the crisis. This is why restarting work on building these homes in a safe and controlled manner is vital. This safe working charter will help the construction industry and the social landlords that contract them to do just that.

Aaron Hill, Head of Policy and External Affairs at Community Housing Cymru said:

“The coronavirus pandemic has demonstrated the importance of good quality, affordable homes, and the need for investment in housing to play a key part in the economic recovery in Wales and beyond.

Housing associations have worked tirelessly to maintain a safe working environment throughout this period, and we are pleased to be supporting this charter which will protect the wellbeing of all those who are required to be on construction sites. This charter will play a key part in ensuring sites can operate safely as we work together to deliver the homes Wales needs.”

Ifan Glyn, Director of the Federation of Master Builders (FMB) Cymru said:

“Getting back to building new homes to ensure that we meet housing demand is of course of great importance, but what is more important still is that we do so without jeopardising the sacrifices made to contain the virus during the lockdown period. We, the Federation of Master Builders Cymru, believe that following the commitments set out in this charter will ensure that house builders are able to get back to work safely. We are therefore very happy to endorse this Charter.”

Welsh charter for Safe Working Practice

During the coronavirus pandemic the health and wellbeing of our workforce, visitors to site and the local community is our number one priority.

Home-building has a major role to play in helping our economy recover from the impact of coronavirus. The Government is supportive of construction activity continuing where it is safe to do so. Home building supports hundreds of thousands of jobs and thousands of businesses. It also provides billions of pounds to improve local infrastructure in the areas where new homes are built.

We all share the responsibility to ensure that this site can operate safely and in accordance with Government advice.

Gwnawn hynny drwy:

Gweithio gyda’n gweithlu, is-gontractwyr a chyflenwyr i ddatblygu a rhannu arferion gwaith diogel
Dim ond ymgymryd â gweithrediadau y gwyddom y gellir eu gwneud yn ddiogel
Sefydlu mynedfa ac allanfa diogel i’r safle.
Darparu cyfleusterau rhannu ac ardaloedd parcio diogel.
Rhoi cyflwyniad ar ddiogelwch i bob ymwelydd i’r safle i sicrhau eu bod yn deall yn llawn y mesurau a weithredir ar y safle i’w diogelu hwy ac eraill
Sicrhau fod mesurau yn eu lle i alluogi unrhyw un ar y safle i gydymffurfio gyda rheoliadau a chanllawiau ymbellhau cymdeithasol a chymryd camau i liniaru i ostwng risg trosglwyddo haint lle nad yw hynny’n bosibl
Bod â chyfleusterau llesiant glân a mannau golchi dwylo a hylif diheintio dwylo ar draws y safle
Datblygu polisïau manwl fydd yn galluogi cwsmeriaid i ymweld â safleoedd a gweld cartrefi yn ddiogel ac yn unol â’r holl ganllawiau ymbellhau cymdeithasol pan maent yn ailagor
Cyfathrebu gyda’n cymdogion fel y gwyddant ein bod yn gweithio i ganllawiau’r Llywodraeth
Sicrhau y caiff cydymffurfiaeth gyda’r rheolau hyn ei fonitro’n agos iawn. Bydd yn rhaid i unrhyw berson a ganfyddir yn torri’r rheolau hyn adael y safle ac efallai na chaniateir iddynt ddychwelyd.

Gofynnwn i’r holl ymwelwyr i’n safle:

Pan fyddant yn cyrraedd, i gofrestru gyda’r tîm rheoli safle i gael cyflwyniad ar coronafeirws
Aros adref os oes ganddynt unrhyw symptomau coronafeirws neu’n byw gyda rhywun sydd â symptomau o’r fath
Lle’n bosibl, deithio ar ben eu hunain neu gyda phobl eraill sy’n byw gyda nhw a dilyn canllawiau ymbellhau cymdeithasol os yn teithio ar drafnidiaeth gyhoeddus
Rhoi amser i ddeall a chydymffurfio gyda’r holl ganllawiau a ddarparwyd, yn neilltuol yng nghyswllt rheoliadau ymbellhau cymdeithasol
Hysbysu rheolwr/cydlynydd y safle a enwir islaw

Gall ein rheolwyr safle a thimau gwerthu ateb unrhyw gwestiynau sydd gan weithwyr ac ymwelwyr.

Caiff y rheolau hyn eu diweddaru yn unol ag unrhyw newidiadau yng nghanllawiau’r Llywodraeth.

We will do that by:

Working with our workforce, subcontractors and suppliers to develop and share detailed safe working practices
Only undertaking operations we know can be carried out safely
Establishing safe access and egress to the site
Providing safe shared facilities and parking areas
Giving all site visitors a safety induction to ensure they fully understand the measures in place on the site to protect them and others
Ensuring measures are in place to enable anyone on site to abide by social distancing Regulations and guidance and taking mitigating action to reduce the risk of transmission where not possible
Having clean welfare facilities and hand washing points and sanitisers across the site
Developing detailed policies that will allow customers to visit sites and view homes safely and in accordance with all social distancing guidelines when they re-open
Communicating with our neighbours so they are aware we are working to Government guidelines
Ensuring that compliance with these rules is monitored very closely. Any person found to be breaking these rules will be removed from site and may not be allowed to return.

We are asking all visitors to our site to:

Register with the site management team upon arrival for a coronavirus briefing
Stay at home if they have any coronavirus symptoms or are living with someone who has
Where possible, travel alone or with others in their household and follow social distancing guidance if using public transport
Take time to understand and comply with all guidance provided, in particular with regards to social distancing regulations
Report any concerns to the site manager/coordinator named below

Our trained site management and sales teams will be able to answer any questions workers and visitors may have.

These rules will be updated according to any changes in Government guidance.