SURNAME 5
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COVID-19 Impacts on the Construction Industry
Introduction
The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly affected the construction sector. Before the pandemic, the industry accounted for approximately 7.7% of the world’s global employment, with 2020 projections being 13.4% of the world’s GDP. However, the pandemic has created falling revenues coupled with challenges with project delivery that has shrunk the market, negatively impacting the workforce (ILO Sectoral Brief). Experts have predicted that the industry experienced a “recession of COVID-19 that has resulted in high rates of unemployment due to work disruptions, shortage of personal protective equipment (PPE), interrupted supply chain, and employee shortage, and postponement of projects (Pamidimukkala and Sharareh). 2020 projections showed that 28% of members in the Associated General Contractors of America had delayed or halted their projects altogether (Pamidimukkala and Sharareh). The present analysis uses a synthesis of literature, reports, research, and articles on the impact of COVID-19 on the construction industry to demonstrate the effects in the United States market and makes recommendations on how to address the challenges effectively.
Materials
The analysis uses a detailed literature review of articles, research, and reports on Google Scholar, Science Direct, Center for Disease Control and Prevention, American Society of Civil Engineers, and Occupational Safety and Health Administration to collect data on the effects of COVID-19 on the pandemic.
Methods
Using search keywords including construction workers, COVID-19, field workers, project performance between March 1, 2020 and June 30, 2021 will be used to narrow down the information. Only the articles related to COVID-19 and the construction industry will be examined to select the content that focuses on the challenges the industry has faced. The selected articles will be used to conduct an in-depth analysis of the pandemic on the industry and categorize them accordingly.
Results
Across the United States, the general implications of the pandemic include disparities about the role of construction as essential or non-essential services, material shortage and delays, increased demand, delayed inspections and permits, reduced efficiency and productivity, suspension or halting of projects, price escalation, and safety concerns by OSHA (Bou Hatoum et al.). Articles will be selected from North America specifically highlighting psychological, individual, health, and economic effects of the pandemic. Although the pandemic affected construction stakeholders across the world, the developed world expressed more concerns and instituted more mitigating efforts compared to the developing counterparts (Pamidimukkala and Sharareh). The themes of the articles will be divided according to effects of the pandemic on the individual, economy, stakeholders, and the industry in general.
Discussion
The construction industry was adversely affected by the pandemic and considering the implications of personal contact on transmission rates, the risk of contamination was increased (Pamidimukkala and Sharareh). Some of the effects observed include suspension, delay, or modification of projects as stakeholders grappled with the new normal. Workers were forced to adjust requirements recommended by CDC and WHO, adhere to directives of sanitation and PPE, and change to remote working when possible. Safety and health concerns were high in the industry (Pamidimukkala and Sharareh). Not only did the pandemic affect physical health, but psychological implications were high. Anxiety, depression, and health surrounding job uncertainty and stability, supply shortages, shutdowns, and financial obligations were high (Pamidimukkala and Sharareh). The pandemic also affected wages, employer-employee relations, paid leave, schedules, and worker shortage.
The themes will be divided into:
Organizational Impacts
Issues with safety and health in the working environment
Working from home challenges
Lack of knowledge and skills among managers to deal with the problems in the workplace
Financial challenges
Individual Impacts
Family and personal welfare and safety
New digital and communication tools including Slack, Zoom, and Microsoft Teams
Feelings of Inadequacy
New work schedules
Economic Impacts
Material shortage
Supply chain disruptions
Cash flow delays
Transportation challenges
Labor shortage
Rising unemployment
Psychological Impacts
Stress, anxiety, and depression
Burnout
Social isolation
Recommendations
The industry made adjustment based on government directives to promote the health and safety of their workers including:
Workforce protection using PPE, social distancing, teleworking, and OSHA protections
Project continuity through teleworking, use of technology, and communication
OSH protocols for return to work (Biswas)
Conclusion
The present analysis used a synthesis of literature, reports, research, and articles on the impact of COVID-19 on the construction industry to demonstrate the effects in the United States market and makes recommendations on how to address the challenges effectively. The effects will be divided according to individual effects like stress and burnout, economic ones like labor shortage, organizational ones like cash flow delays. Recommendations include new safety and health regulations, OSHA compliance, and project continuity.
Works Cited
Biswas, Ankan, et al. “The impact of COVID-19 in the construction sector and its remedial measures.” Journal of Physics: Conference Series. Vol. 1797. No. 1. IOP Publishing, 2021.
Bou Hatoum, Makram, et al. “Analysis of COVID-19 Concerns Raised by the Construction Workforce and Development of Mitigation Practices.” Frontiers in Built Environment 7 (2021): 66.
ILO Sectoral Brief. “Impact of COVID-19 on the Construction Sector.” Ilo.Org, 25 Jan. 2021, www.ilo.org/sector/Resources/publications/WCMS_767303/lang–en/index.htm.
Pamidimukkala, Apurva, and Sharareh Kermanshachi. “Impact of Covid-19 on field and office workforce in construction industry.” Project Leadership and Society (2021): 100018.
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