Response to COVID-19

Overview

Transport for NSW (TfNSW) was alerted by an industry partner that a subcontractor who had been working in the WestConnex 3B Rhodes office returned a positive result for COVID-19.

Initiatives

• TfNSW logged the case with the TfNSW COVID-19 hotline. All parties worked with Public Health professionals from NSW Health to share information, identify contacts and manage the case.
• The office where the infected worker had been while potentially infectious was closed for one day and thoroughly cleaned, with special attention focused on common touch surfaces.
• Contact tracing procedures were implemented to ensure those who had been in close contact with the infected worker could self-isolate or seek medical attention if they developed symptoms

Outcomes

• Three contacts were identified as being in the immediate work area of the infected worker.
• The contacts self-isolated at home for the mandatory 14 day period and underwent testing. Each returned a negative result and returned to work.
• Others who had not been in contact with the infected worker were notified of the incident and asked to monitor their symptoms in the coming days. No further cases were detected.
• The infected worker experienced mild symptoms and self-isolated at home as directed by NSW Health. Within four weeks they had recovered and received clearance from NSW Health to return from work.

More information

TfNSW has developed an information sharing page, which includes guidelines and procedures developed by TfNSW and its industry partners for dealing with COVID-19, to promote safe and healthy workplaces.

Overview

In late March, Transport for NSW’s (TfNSW) Infrastructure and Place Division developed a Work Health and Safety (WHS) Assurance Process to review new ways of working with COVID-19. The purpose of the assurance review was to:

• Verify that the practices developed for new ways of working with COVID-19 were communicated to workers (e.g. physical distancing requirements);
• Verify that the practices developed for new ways of working with COVID-19 were implemented in the field (e.g. signage posted for meeting room capacities to reinforce and support compliance with physical distancing requirements). 
• Engage with line management teams to agree on corrective actions to be taken specific to each location and more broadly to better manage risks.
• Report back to branch leaders on finding and actions for potential improvements.

Initiatives

• Assurance reviews took place from 26 March to 15 April. In total, 56 sites were reviewed across road and light rail offices and project sites.
• A spreadsheet was developed to consolidate reporting of the individual site assurance reviews. Results were summarised overall and for each branch. Traffic light colour coding was applied to the findings:
  • Green: 100 per cent compliance
  • Yellow: 50-99 per cent compliance
  • Red: Less than 50 per cent compliance

Outcomes

• Overall the findings were positive, with awareness of new ways of working with COVID-19 found to be 100 per cent.
• The average of other assurance review items overall was 83 per cent compliance
• Some lack of ownership was found in some offices, particularly those with mixed teams and common areas.  There were some notable exceptions where individuals had personally stepped up and filled gaps around cleaning, organising hygiene consumables or implemented other arrangements.
• Some misunderstanding that certain requirements, such as physical distancing rules, did not apply at TfNSW. This likely stemmed from summary information around TfNSW having exemptions as an essential service.  In reality there are exemptions where certain requirements are not practicable for specific essential activities, and where alternative risk controls are in place to adequately manage the risk.
• Physical distancing requirements at TfNSW offices have been substantially mitigated by a significant number of staff working from home. Working from home is the strong preference for TfNSW staff who are able to work remotely and is likely to remain so for the coming months.  Guidance and support has been provided to TfNSW staff on WHS considerations and working from home practices via the TfNSW “stayinformed” website.

Follow up

• Ongoing support was provided to senior leaders to implement and verify suitable WHS risk management arrangements, as well as supporting WHS due diligence obligations.
• The WHS team involved in undertaking the assurance reviews engaged with line managers to complete all 78 of the agreed corrective actions arising from the reviews, and continue to provide WHS assistance in support of COVID-19 risk management.

More information

• TfNSW's Assurance Review Process
• TfNSW's Construction Industry webpage

Overview

The Critical Communications Enhancement Project (CCEP) aims to deliver greater access to public safety standard radio communications for the State’s first responders and essential service agencies. In response to COVID-19, the NSW Telco Authority implemented effective measures across three areas of the CCEP.

CCEP’s response to COVID-19

The NSW Telco Authority implemented effective measures across three areas of the CCEP.

1) Site Acquisition, Environment and Design (SAED) Program Teams

Initiatives

• Regular team meetings held over Skype, supplemented by less formal team check-ins through online meetings and group messages with weekly competitions such as, “Best photo of your home office”.
• Implementation of a business continuity plan aimed at reducing the impacts of illness to the CCEP, ensuring continuity for up to 50 per cent of staff impacted at one time (with efficiency impacted up to 50 per cent).
• All Design partners mirrored the NSW Telco COVID-19 response. Design partners submitted succession plans for their teams for potential COIVD-19 impacts and implemented working from home arrangements with only critical roles working from the corporate offices.

Outcomes

• After the initial transition period, there has been no decline in performance.
• Many teams are working more efficiently because of reduced commuting time and work from home arrangements.
• Commercial and tendering works have been progressed, issuing contracts for one cluster of design work and going to market for a further cluster of works.

2) Construction

Initiatives

• The program delivery team published a COVID-19 guideline for all construction works, aligned to Worksafe’s guidelines. All onsite construction teams developed site specific COVID-19 plans which included limiting the number of people on site.
• Construction engineering and management teams have been mainly working from home (excluding site visits) since mid-March.
• Increased onsite presence of project engineers, ensuring more site visits to assess key controls and support the teams undertaking the work
• Virtual leadership walks and maintaining management oversight using online tools.
• Limiting the number of people traveling in vehicles to a maximum of two people
• Ensuring hand sanitiser, soap and water and face masks were made available to all personnel onsite
• Telco’s travel office and construction vendors working together to identify suitable accommodation and meal arrangements given the long distances between some sites.

Outcomes

• The construction teams were able to overcome almost all COVID-19 constraints with minimal disruption to the construction works.

3) Materials and Logistics

The construct of the CCEP is such that the Telco Authority is responsible for the free issue material (FIM) supply to construction vendors. Delays in delivery of FIM would cause delays in construction at a number of sites, pushing the program timeline out past the current schedule.

The materials and logistics teams worked collaboratively with all FIM suppliers to minimise supply chain delays. A number of initiatives were developed by the materials and logistics teams to ensure the ongoing supply of crucial construction materials to CCEP build sites, including: 

• Continuing to place advanced orders with suppliers to support the construction schedule
• Updating certain critical deliveries from overseas suppliers from sea to air freight to accelerate delivery at minimal additional cost
• Investigating additional warehousing options with incumbent supplier

The program team identified FIM shortages with cavity filters. Working closely with our supplier and construction teams, the Telco Authority:

• Airfreighted cavity filters from supplier in Canada
• Redistributed filters in regions where there were surpluses to regions that were short on numbers
• Recycled and physically retuned filters from the GRN for refurbishment and redeployment 

More information

For more information, visit the CCEP webpage’

Overview

On 28 April 2020, the NSW Government announced the first 24 projects to undergo a fast-tracked assessment process as part of DPIE’s new Planning System Acceleration Program. The tranche one assessments have now all been finalised. Tranche Two was announced May 22, with a further 24 projects. An independent probity advisor has been appointed to ensure the prioritisation process is robust and transparent.

Initiatives

• The program will redirect resources within DPIE to accelerate the assessment and determination of projects that inject investment into the NSW economy and keep people in jobs during the COVID-19 pandemic
• Specific criteria have been created to identify and progress projects for a fast-tracked assessment. The three essential criteria are:
  • Jobs
  • Timing
  • Public benefit
• Introducing a ‘one stop shop’ for industry to progress projects that may be ‘stuck in the system’
• Clearing the backlog of cases in the Land & Environment Court with additional Acting Commissioners
• Investing $70 million to co-fund vital new community infrastructure in North West Sydney including roads, drainage and public parks to unlock plans for the construction of thousands of new houses.

Projected Outcomes

The 24 projects identified in tranche one of fast-tracked assessments have the potential to:

• Create 10,113 new jobs during construction and once complete
• Inject over $7.74 billion into the State’s economy
• Deliver more than 325,000 square metres of new public open space, parks and environmental conservation lands
• Allow more than 7,400 new homes to be built, including more than 1,000 social and affordable homes

The 24 projects in tranche two have the potential to:

• Create 14,880 new jobs during construction and once complete
• Inject over $5.87 billion investment across 24 projects  
• Deliver an additional 3,653 new homes
• Projects include a new hospital, three new schools and the relocated Sydney Fish Markets
• Determination is planned within the four week period from 22 May to 18 June 2020
• The Program also brings forward 11 re-zonings unlocking major commercial, industrial and residential development across the state

The projects will deliver economic rebound, along with significant public benefits, particularly the creation of public space.

More Information

• Planning System Acceleration Program website
• Enquiries about the program and DPIE’s response to COVID-19 can be directed to planning.covidresponse@planning.nsw.gov.au

Overview

Roberts Pizzarotti is the main contractor for the Concord Hospital redevelopment. The scope of work includes the construction of a new Clinical Services Building, a three-storey atrium, glass lifts, a basement level loading dock, patient beds and treatment chairs, offices and support spaces, outpatient consult rooms and allied health treatment areas. Early works began in 2019 and the Precinct is expected to be operational in 2021.

Project Initiatives

• Clear communication: An Emergency Response Plan for COVID-19 was developed. Signage has been displayed in line with NSW Health’s advice to ‘Stop the Spread’ at site entrance, site amenities and throughout the work site.
• Technology: An app has been developed by Roberts Pizzarotti that enables site-specific updates relating to COVID-19 measures to be shared among workers. The app also includes online induction, permit approvals, supervisor contact details and records who is on-site on any specific day in the event of a positive case.
• Social distancing on site: Minimising site access to essential workers only and daily consultation through the Roberts Pizzarotti app. Rotation of lunch breaks into smaller groups for site contractors. Construction of additional site amenities on lower ground and line-marking of site amenities to identify social distance spacing across the job site.
• Social distancing in project office: Meetings were held via web-based apps, including Skype and Microsoft Teams. Roberts Pizzarotti staff also implemented alternating rosters with day days on and off between working from home and the office.
• Self-hygiene: Increased cleaning regime focusing on high touch points such as turnstile, hoist call button, water bubblers, handrails etc., throughout whole job site, and implementing no-touch site entrance and exit procedure.
• Cleaning: An external professional cleaner was engaged for daily deep clean.
• Transport: Restricted number of passengers in the Roberts Pizzarotti shuttle bus and passengers in the personnel hoist.

Outcomes

• Uptake of the Roberts Pizzarotti app is 90 per cent. Only 10 per cent have chosen to enter the site via a standard access card. Everyone else enters the site using the app. Across the Roberts Pizzarotti workforce, there are 4,900 individual workers using the app.
• Zero positive or suspected COVID-19 cases.

More Information

For more information, visit the webpage, or contact the team at Health Infrastructure NSW.

Overview

Sydney Metro platforms are being built around 27 metres below ground at Central station, located within the existing Central Station precinct. Work also includes construction of a new Central Walk, an upgrade to the Northern Concourse, and installation of new escalators and lifts directly to platforms 12 to 23 for the first time. Major construction started in August 2018. Construction of Central Walk is scheduled to be finished by late 2022, with the new metro platforms to become operational once Sydney Metro City and Southwest services begin in 2024.

Project Initiatives

• Social distancing on-site: The project’s Safety Committee and Project Leadership Team continually monitor workers on social distancing, as well as advising on the need to maintain social distancing protocols. In addition to staggered shifts, workers are allocated into teams to schedule separated pre-start briefings and breaks, reducing the size of staff gathered across sites. Meal and break areas have been reconfigured to ensure there is adequate social distancing and storage space. Meal breaks are staggered and rooms cleaned between each break.
• Social distancing in project office: A Working from Home plan has been developed, which aims to have up to 50 per cent of the workforce at home at any one time. This creates a safer environment and enables people to maintain some contact and connection with colleagues.
• Cleaning: Enhanced industrial cleaning and provision of personal protective equipment. Additional cleaning of hard surfaces.
• Self-Hygiene: Cleaning materials, antibacterial hand wash and hand sanitiser are available on site. Taps and bins have been fitted with foot pedals for safe operation.
• Communication: Information posters are displayed around site to provide a quick reference to COVID-19 symptoms, personal hygiene measures and what to do in the event of suspected or confirmed cases. Social distancing information is provided verbally at pre-start meetings.
• Technology: Pegasus Log Points have been updated to confirm that every person entering the site meets COVID-19 screening requirements by answering screening questions and confirming they are fit for work. The Pegasus equipment is wiped down and cleaned after each use.

Outcomes

• Working from home plan has been successfully implemented, with 47 per cent of the Laing O’Rourke workforce working from home.
• 100 per cent compliance with health screening questions at Pegasus log points.
• No positive cases of COVID-19 on site to date.

More Information

For more information, visit the Sydney Metro webpage or contact the team at Sydney Metro at Sydneymetro@transport.nsw.gov.au

Yes. While we grapple with the health and economic challenges posed by the COVID-19 outbreak, the construction and engineering sectors in NSW are not currently impacted by the restrictions and will continue the delivery of our infrastructure program.

The NSW Major Projects Infrastructure Pipeline, released in March 2020, sets out the task for government and industry in NSW and covers all major projects with an estimated total cost over $50 million that are planned or being developed.

Every contractor and project team must uphold rigorous practices for on-site for distancing, hygiene, safe travel and early identification of any potential infection.

Each project will need its own continuity plan, negotiated with their client agency, that fits its own circumstances. Infrastructure NSW will work to share ideas and good practices between projects.

The NSW Government introduced a public health order on movement and gatherings. The restrictions do not prevent people travelling to or working on construction sites. With that comes a responsibility for us all to implement good health practices on sites.

Employees from the construction industry are not immune from the virus or exempt from the new laws if they are in public places and not engaged in work on a construction site.

We all need to make sure that this is understood at an industry level, and a site level, and that good practices are enforced. If the public health orders change, this website will be updated.

View the NSW Government’s current advice and requirements.

NSW Government client agencies are the key contact for all continuity plans. We recognise that the construction sector will face its own operational challenges. The sector has extensive experience dealing with work, health and safety matters and we have full confidence the necessary measures will be implemented during hazard and risk assessments for projects and sites.

Infrastructure NSW is working with the construction industry and line agencies to monitor emerging issues, including those related to work, health and safety, supply chain related delays and temporary shutdowns, during this challenging time.

Our approach is to talk early and talk often. We are regularly engaging with industry leaders to discuss our approach. Any contractor experiencing difficulties on a project should pick up the phone to their client agency as soon as possible.

For more information and to get involved in discussions look for updates on this website or contact us at industry@infrastructure.nsw.gov.au

The NSW Government will always act on the advice of NSW health officials to ensure the community remains safe. Where practicable, the NSW Government will continue the vital work of building for the future.

We will continue to monitor advice from National Cabinet and the NSW Cabinet and update information on this website accordingly.

If a complete lockdown is enforced, the NSW Government has committed to ensuring the construction industry will remain active in other ways. Infrastructure NSW and Government agencies charged with delivering the infrastructure program will continue discussions about how to work cooperatively with the industry to maintain cash flow, employment and delivery on our projects across a range of scenarios.

Our 10-Point Commitment to the construction industry sets out the collaborative approach we expect from all parties. The NSW Government’s Construction Leadership Group will monitor developments and continue to facilitate industry-wide discussions.

Where the delivery of projects is affected by matters relating to COVID-19, the NSW Government will ensure all agencies work collaboratively with contractors where issues arise to keep projects on schedule to the greatest extent possible.

We encourage all operators in the industry to adopt the same approach whether dealing with Government and other organisations.

The NSW Government announced a major $2.3 billion Health Boost and Economic Stimulus package to protect the community and help protect jobs in the face of the COVID-19 outbreak.

This package has two key components: $700 million in extra health funding and $1.6 billion in tax cuts to support jobs. This package will support our formidable program of work, which has been the backbone of our State’s economy for a number of years.

Further funding announcements relevant to the construction sector can be found under industry updates.

We encourage all contractors to speak with their client agencies as soon as they become aware of any potential issues so we can keep NSW’s critical infrastructure program moving ahead.

Email industry@infrastructure.nsw.gov.au with your contact details to ensure we have your latest information. If you’re contact details are current, you will receive email updates from us.

Alternatively, keep a look out on this website where we will update our FAQs as new information comes to light.