New Department of Homeland Security guidance clarifies construction's role in supporting essential critical infrastructure

The chief executive officer of the Associated General Contractors of America, Stephen E. Sandherr, issued the following statement in reaction to the release of new guidance from the Department of Homeland Security’s Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency that clarifies construction’s critical role in supporting essential infrastructure.

“Federal officials have, wisely, heeded our advice and opted to release new guidance that makes it clear that construction activities are included in its list of essential critical infrastructure workers. This new federal guidance should help eliminate the confusion and ambiguity that has led several state and local officials to needlessly order halts to construction activity that is clearly essential.

“Specifically, federal officials have opted to identify construction and related activities, including the manufacture and delivery of construction supplies and safety equipment and the permitting & inspection of projects, in 25 different parts of its guidelines, compared to four times in its prior iteration. That is because federal officials understand the essential role construction plays in supporting our critical infrastructure and economic activities. They also understand that construction activity can continue to occur in a way that protects workers and the general public from the spread of coronavirus.

“Moving forward, we are eager to work with state and local officials to help them better understand how to heed this new federal guidance so they can continue, or begin, to allow construction work to proceed in their jurisdictions.”

Walsh Construction, one of the largest contractors in the city of Chicago and in the United States, is leading the temporary conversion of a portion of the McCormick Place Convention Center into an Alternate Care Facility (ACF) for novel coronavirus patients. Construction on the first 500 beds was completed on April 3.

U of Chicago Medicine workers with face shields produced by bKL architects.

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