Mace Group is "progressively" reopening some of the construction sites it temporarily suspended on 24 March in response to UK government restrictions on social distancing.
In a statement published yesterday, Group CEO, Mark Reynolds, said:
"Guidance from the Prime Minister and his Cabinet has been clear that construction is a vital element of the UK economy that will be critical in our recovery from this crisis – and that where we can open sites in accordance with the Construction Leadership Council’s Standard Operating Procedures, we should do so as soon as possible.
"It is now clear that restrictions around social distancing is likely to be in place for many months – and so construction must find a way to work safely.
If we do not, we will be unable to support the UK’s economic recovery.
"The health, safety and wellbeing of everyone who works on our sites is our first priority.
We have made it clear that we would not re-open our construction projects until we were satisfied that it was safe to do so.
During this period, there have been ongoing critical works on a number of projects that have allowed us to test and develop our procedures for a wider opening.
"We are working closely with our clients and supply chain to make this re-opening a success.
Mace's decision is likely to face independent scrutiny, however, with the UK government's decision to allow construction sites to remain open despite a wider COVID-19 lockdown already coming under fire, and because of widespread consensus that the number of coronavirus cases in the country has yet to peak.
The company though is no stranger to controversy. In 2018 it was criticised by Corporate Watch over its extensive involvement in the UK's prison building programme; as well as its allegedly 'lucrative' work in the Middle East, including taking a lead role (with EC Harris) in the construction of the Jeddah Tower (Saudi Arabia's tallest building), and exposure to several projects in Qatar despite concerns raised by human rights charities Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch about the treatment of migrant workers in both countries.
The UK's construction market is currently experiencing its most significant downturn in output for over a decade, with IHS Markit's monthly Purchasing Managers’ Index™ (PMI) which asks survey respondents to report month-on-month changes to key business variables, dropping from 52.6 points in February to 39.3 points last month.
Mace's decision is likely to face independent scrutiny, however, with the UK government's decision to allow construction sites to remain open despite a wider COVID-19 lockdown already coming under fire, and because of widespread consensus that the number of coronavirus cases in the country has yet to peak.
The company though is no stranger to controversy.
In 2018 it was criticised by Corporate Watch over its extensive involvement in the UK's prison building programme; as well as its allegedly 'lucrative' work in the Middle East, including taking a lead role (with EC Harris) in the construction of the Jeddah Tower (Saudi Arabia's tallest building), and exposure to several projects in Qatar despite concerns raised by human rights charities Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch about the treatment of migrant workers in both countries.
