Paul Stocco, our Construction Group Practice Area Leader recently participated in a CanBIM virtual session to discuss the impact COVID-19 is having on the construction industry.

“I think its impact has been broad, it has been profound, and… it is going to be lasting,” Paul told session moderator Andrea Lee.

The impacts include work on construction sites slowing or stopping as the industry tries to understand the virus and how it spreads, then implements social distancing, PPE adoption, sanitization stations, and other COVID-19 related safety measures to protect workers. Supply chain delays also pose a risk to construction and there is a need to ensure outside material arriving on site has been safely and appropriately handled.

The above factors create a trickle-down effect in the industry: “If you’re not getting the work done, you’re not getting it done on time,” Paul explained. “It’s impacting on your progress applications and payments, and it’s impacting on cash flow.”

There are also less visibly tangible impacts, as companies face challenges in adapting to remote work structures, and the panel debated how project owners and contractors may handle cost sharing disputes in the event of a construction delay.

Paul also offered praise for the provincial government, the construction industry, and the legal community in taking a leadership role in creating and promoting best practices to move forward with projects.

The full video can be viewed here.