Update on Construction Reopening Requirements
Oct 4, 2021
Ensuring workers have the right vaccination for the sites they visit
Vaccination requirement for workers operating only in the region they live in
All workers must be vaccinated to attend a construction site across Victoria from tomrorrow – this requirement has not changed. That means that:
- All workers living and working in regional Victoria must have had at least one dose to be working on construction sites now.
- All workers living and working in metropolitan Melbourne must have had at least one dose to attend site from tomorrow.
If you have not had a single dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, or have not obtained and shown a medical exception certificate to a builder, you will not be permitted entry on site.
Vaccination requirement for moving between small scale construction sites
From tomorrow, Tuesday 5 October, workers moving between metropolitan Melbourne and regional Victoria to work on small scale construction sites must be fully vaccinated (two doses) to be allowed to enter a building site in the region they do not live in.
As per HIA’s member alert on Saturday, the Government without warning changed the definition of fully vaccinated for workers to having received two doses of a COVID-19 vaccine.
More information on where to get vaccinated can be found here or by contacting the coronvarirus hotline on 1800 675 398.
Vaccination rules for other construction sites (not small-scale construction sites)
Workers moving between metropolitan Melbourne and regional Victoria to attend work at other types of construction sites may also resume work from tomorrow, Tuesday 5 October, after receiving only one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. This rule only applies to people working on:
- Early stage land development sites
- Large scale construction sites
- Projects on the State Critical Infrastrucure list
If a worker is not fully vaccinated (two doses) and only single dosed they must also be tested twice a week, with at least 72 hours between each test, until they receive their second dose to be allowed to move between metropolitan and regional Victoria.
The change announced today for early stage land development site workers will not assist with workers carrying out earthworks on residential sites as the land is already titled therefore is not classed as early stage land development. As advised on Saturday, HIA has approached the Government asking for consistent treatment of all construction workers.
HIA will continue to keep members informed should more information become available on this issue.
New Making space on site resources available
HIA has updated the Making space on site resources for Victoria to align with the current COVIDSafe plan requirements of the Victorian Government.
Members can acess a new COVIDSafe Plan for small residential building sites (unoccupied) which outlines the necessary actions a builder or principal contractor is responsible for when managing a residential building site.
A summary of the requirements in the COVIDSafe Plan is also available to ensure all workers and other people attending a building site are aware of the COVID safety measures that need to be adhered to when on the site. This summary is in the form of a COVIDSafe Plan site sign or poster allowing you to place it on site, next to your Services Victoria QR code.
Members can also access a tailored HIA Site Induction based on the COVIDSafe Plan for small residential building sites in Victoria. This QR code allows a builder to confirm on a daily basis that workers and other people attending the site meet the various government requirements such as having Authorised Worker permits, meeting vaccination requirements to work on site and not being subject to quarantine requirements.
It is important to understand that the HIA Site Induction QR code does not override a businesses obligation to collect vaccination status information from all workers in the required form and to keep this information as required before those workers attend a site. The QR code simply provides a secondary confirmation.
Members must have a their own COVIDSafe Plan for every site. Members are able to use the Government’s COVIDSafe Plan template and any other tools you prefer to check workers into the site.
The HIA Making space on site resources are intended to provide a simple tool to assist members and are not mandatory to use.
Other steps to prepare for reopening
Several others steps that members need to take to prepare to return to site tomorrow were set out in our member alerts last week.
In particular, members must complete the new COVIDSafe Construction Declaration for every individual site you are responsible for, along with updating your COVIDSafe plans and ensuring your COVID Marshal is nominated and trained.