5 Ways Covid- 19 Affects Construction Industry

The Covid-19 crisis has turned the world upside down. There is hardly any industry unaffected by the pandemic, and the construction industry is no exception.

As many countries lift the lockdown restrictions, construction companies are preparing themselves for the “new normal” that may last for more than a few months—not something we anticipated.
Let’s find 5 ways COVID-19 has affected the construction industry:

1. Safety and health of workers

Due to the novel coronavirus, many companies halted their operations to keep their employees safe.

However, as construction workers return to their worksites, companies have introduced new norms for preventing the spread of coronavirus and keeping workers protected. This includes:
● Maintaining proper social distancing at work place
● Regular temperature checks for workers at the start and end of the day
● Frequent disinfection of tools, machinery, and work areas
● Increased access to hand washing and sanitizing rubs
● Implementing remote communication, especially crucial meetings
● Employee counselling for mental health
Employees being the most valuable asset of any company must be taken care of well.

2. Travel limitations

Due to travel restrictions, many workers find it difficult or impossible to show up at worksites. Moreover, there are many who could not even work remotely.

However, technology in the current crisis has helped many workers to perform many tasks easily.

Some of the technologies implemented by construction companies include:
● Cloud-Based SaaS Technology: This helps employees easily access data
available on the cloud while working remotely.
● Webinars : This helps employees working from different locations to see and hear the presenter, ask queries, and discuss work-related tasks without the need to meet in person.
● Teleworking : This keeps the business operations running smoothly while
employees are working from home.

Unfortunately, the virtual model does not apply to the entire construction industry because of the nature of the work.

3. Delay in material supply and project deadlines

The COVID-19 pandemic has shut down many factories, resulting in a sharp drop in the supply of essential materials.
This eventually led many projects to stall their operations and further delay in the delivery or the worst —cancellation.
As per the respondents of a survey from the Associated General Contractors of America, 53% faced project delays while 7% of projects were cancelled by April 3.
Apart from material shortage, there are other factors responsible for project delays such as layoffs, employee absenteeism, interruption in the supply chain, and limited mobility.

4. Conservative investment

Due to the current situation, many lenders and investors are perplexed whether or not to lend money to construction companies. This is mostly true for firms that work in highly impacted areas like the food, tourism and hospitality industry.
They are keeping a close tab on how the construction industry responds to the crisis before putting their money on the line.

5. Diversification

The demand for construction work may have declined in some industries like the hospitality sector. However, construction services are in demand for projects such as building medical facilities for Covid patients and other care centres.
Plus, this is a good opportunity for the construction companies to diversify and improve their financial health to compensate for the loss.

Check out the wide collection of plumbing fixtures such as single handle bathroom faucets , double bowl stainless steel sinks , vanity sinks , and pull down kitchen faucets at Allora USA . Unlike many other companies in the industry, Allora USA remained unaffected as we had stocked up products for a year’s worth of inventory before COVID hit.

Wrap up

Amidst the ongoing COVID-19 crisis, health awareness is the key to survival.
As long as basic precautions are followed on-site and there is no compromise with the health and safety of workers, the construction industry will find its road to recovery and hence growth.
At Allora USA, we are taking all the precautions to contain the spread of the virus, including, but not limited to:
● Installing hand sanitizer stations on the entrance
● Staff wears masks all the time
● Curbside pickup
● Virtual showroom visits
● Encouraging clients to place online orders
● Call or chat online to reduce personal interaction

Share your requirements with us today at 571-291-3484 or email:
customerservice@allorausa.com