Stay-At-Home Order Effective March 24, 2020: Impact on Residential Construction
On Sunday, March 22, 2020, Governor Mike DeWine announced a "Stay-at-Home" order effective at 11:59 PM on Monday night, March 23, 2024 to last through April 6, 2020.
Important for members of the remodeling industry is the Governor, following the urging of organizations such as NARI and the HBA, has listed the residential construction industry as "essential infrastructure" and thus allowed to continue work during the "Stay-at-Home" period under certain situations.
“We encourage our members to work as they can while respecting the safety and health of all Ohioans during this crisis. Remember the guidelines of COVID-19 as they will keep our clients, our crews and our families safe. It is imperative that the construction industry remain essential to the well-being of the State of Ohio for the economic impact it produces for the southwest Ohio region,” said Kim Fantaci, Executive Director, Miami Valley NARI.
Click here to read the order in its entirety.
Included as essential personnel by the Order are:
a. Financial and insurance institutions. Bank, currency exchanges, consumer lenders, including but not limited, to payday lenders, pawnbrokers, consumer installment lenders and sales finance lenders, credit unions, appraisers, title companies, financial markets, trading and futures exchanges, affiliates of financial institutions, entities that issue bonds, related financial institutions, and institutions selling financial products. Also insurance companies, underwriters, agents, and brokers, and related insurance claims and agency services;
b. Hardware and supply stores. Hardware stores and businesses that sell electrical, plumbing, and heating material;
c. Critical trades. Building and Construction Tradesmen and Tradeswomen, and other trades including but not limited to plumbers, electricians, exterminators, cleaning and janitorial staff for commercial and governmental properties, security staff, operating engineers, HVAC, painting, moving and relocation services, and other service providers who provide services that are necessary to maintaining the safety, sanitation, and essential operation of residences, Essential Activities, and Essential Businesses and Operations;
d. Supplies for Essential Businesses and Operations. Businesses that sell, manufacture, or supply other Essential Businesses and Operations with the support or materials necessary to operate, including computers, audio and video electronics, household appliances; IT and telecommunication equipment; hardware, paint, flat glass; electrical, plumbing and heating material; sanitary equipment; personal hygiene products; food, food additives, ingredients and components; medical and orthopedic equipment; optics and photography equipment; diagnostics, food and beverages, chemicals, soaps and detergent; and firearm and ammunition suppliers and retailers for purposes of safety and security;
e. Transportation. Airlines, taxis, transportation network providers (such as Uber and Lyft), vehicle rental services, paratransit, marinas, docks, boat storage, and other private, public, and commercial transportation and logistics providers necessary for Essential Activities and other purposes expressly authorized in this Order;
f. Professional services. Professional services, such as legal services, accounting services, insurance services, real estate services (including appraisal and title services);
All remodeling professionals should incorporate COVID-19 transmission and prevention into all job hazard analyses (JHAs) and pre-task safety planning for all aspects of the work. This tool is provided solely as a guideline for contractors and is not to be relied upon to prevent the spread or transmission of COVID-19 or prevent a safety violation from being issued by a jurisdictional authority. This is not legal advice. Contractors should continually evaluate the specific hazards at their job sites along with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommendations to determine the most appropriate job hazard analysis for the project/task as it relates to the spread and/or transmission of COVID-19.
All content provided in this article is for informational purposes only. Matters discussed in this article are subject to change.
For up-to-date information on this subject visit coronavirus.ohio.gov.
Miami Valley NARI will not be held responsible for any claim, loss, damage or inconvenience caused as a result of any information within this article or any information accessed through their respective platforms.
REMEMBER REQUIRED MEASURES:
All businesses engaged in operations should remember to ensure compliance with Social Distancing requirements including, where possible:
- Designate six-foot distances;
- Hand sanitizer and sanitizing products (encourage employees to regularly wash their hands with soap for 20-seconds and avoid touching their face)
- Separate operating hours for vulnerable populations
- Online and remote access