News Item: Productivity Rises as Major Construction Sites Return to Work

Contractors report that around 97% of infrastructure and construction sites are now operating, up from 93% a fortnight ago. According to a survey of firms by trade body Build UK output is now starting to rise slowly as firms get to grips with 2m distancing and safer working practices.

Infrastructure sites are now achieving 89% of pre-Covid productivity, up from 85% two weeks ago. Even on more challenging building sites productivity is up to 78% from 74% two weeks ago.

House builders have confirmed 93% of sites in England and Wales are now open, up from 68% a month ago, with output rising from 53% to 78% during that period.

Scotland’s First Minister has today announced it will move to the next step of its restart plan but confirms this does not alter plans already laid out in phase 1 (some of the plans for the next phase were included in phase 1). Moving to the next step will enable the industry to plan how to allow workers to return to construction sites gradually; while using measures such as physical distancing and hand hygiene to ensure that they can do so safely.