Batson-Cook Construction COVID-19 Updates

5/5/20

Video from Randy Hall's Stronger Together update: https://web.microsoftstream.com/video/9c5ea025-efb4-4671-aa6b-017450919011

4/29/20

Video from Randy Hall's Stronger Together update: https://web.microsoftstream.com/video/44c695c2-d7e6-4247-b298-e0e06b94e232

4/20/20

Video from Randy Hall's Stronger Together update: https://web.microsoftstream.com/video/a0c65686-859c-46b0-baf9-b7b08fd5ff48

YouTube interview: https://youtu.be/hL73_Tc_y_8

4/13/20

Video from Randy Hall's Stronger Together update: https://web.microsoftstream.com/video/b32b3363-84b8-4f33-8c28-67a3994b0421

4/7/20

Below is the Batson-Cook COVID-19 Exposure, Prevention, Preparedness and Response Plan. This plan is a living document. As best practices and procedures change, so will the information in this document.

4/6/20

Video from Randy Hall's Stronger Together update: https://web.microsoftstream.com/video/cd7f04af-b870-4bde-98e5-291b0a6517e7

*Please note: this video can only be viewed by employees with login credientials.

3/30/20

Video from Randy Hall's Stronger Together update: https://web.microsoftstream.com/video/80316b13-71b4-4074-94f1-1cfb6f476ed1

*Please note: this video can only be viewed by employees with login credientials.

3/27/20

Good morning everyone,

This email marks almost two weeks since we began our journey to limit human contact. Together, we have developed strategies for support personnel to work from home and for mission critical roles to rotate. I am so very proud of everyone, especially our project teams who continue to plow ahead with great production.

This past week we received executive orders to temporarily close businesses in the City of Atlanta, Cobb County, GA, Cherokee County, GA, Orange County, FL (Orlando) and Charlotte, NC - all areas that we have active projects and/or offices. We are expecting a similar order in Tampa soon. So far, construction work is considered exempt. This is good news for all of us. This does not relieve us, however, of our responsibility to continue our efforts to limit human contact. Therefore, we have decided to continue to follow the protocols that we put in place along with extending our work from home strategy and leadership rotation for another two weeks – or until Friday April 10, 2020. We will continue to track the spread of the virus while taking direction from the Centers for Disease Control.

I know that tough times like these create anxiety. The leadership at Batson-Cook is doing everything possible to make good decisions and keep you informed. Be on the lookout for a survey addressing how we are doing.

Finally – we will be holding another ‘Stronger Together’ Skype call on Monday at noon. There are only 250 spots available for the call so if you cannot get in – don’t worry -we will record the message so that it can be viewed on the COVID19 section of our intranet page.

Randy Hall

President | CEO

3/25/20

Good morning,

At our recent State of the Company meeting I mentioned several projects and project teams that are going above and beyond to take care of their staff and trade contractors during this pandemic. I recently received another example of excellence that I want to share.

GT Knight and his team have constructed a copper table at their wash station for the purpose of mitigating the spread of germs. GT tells me that he has researched different materials and learned that copper holds the shortest life span for viruses to live. He also tells me that plastic has one of the longest life spans for viruses to live, so they are spraying their plastic sink several times each day with disinfectant.

Thanks for raising the bar GT!

Randy Hall
President | CEO

Good morning,

You may be aware that Cobb County issued a declaration of emergency last night placing restrictions on all non-essential businesses from noon today through April 15. The declaration also emphasizes limiting gatherings to less than 10 people and staying 6 feet apart, among other things.

Since construction is considered an essential business according to the declaration, our Atlanta Office will not be subject to any restrictions. We will continue to follow the guidelines offered by the CDC with respect to gatherings and social distancing. At present most of our Atlanta Office support staff are working from home but we do have a small group rotating between home and office. The total number in the office today is 5.

BCC construction projects in Cobb county will continue to operate as usual given the protocols that we have put in place.

Thank you,

Randy Hall

President | CEO
BATSON-COOK CONSTRUCTION

3/24/20

All,

Last night the Mayor of the City of Atlanta issued an executive order to shut down all non-essential businesses in the City of Atlanta. Since our Atlanta Office is not in the City of Atlanta, our Atlanta Office will remain open. Of course we will continue our work from home and rotation programs that we set last week.

As for construction projects – we have just learned from the AGC (and others) that the executive order will be amended to consider work on construction projects to be essential. Therefore we do not intend to close any construction projects in the City of Atlanta.

Rest assured that we are developing plans for the time that a shut down may affect our business operations, but for now we will continue business under the current guidelines offered by the CDC. Continue to execute our plan to work from home and rotate leadership - all in an effort to limit human contact.

Thank you, 

Randy Hall

President | CEO
BATSON-COOK CONSTRUCTION

 

All,

With all our efforts focused on staying operational during this current viral outbreak and the uncertainty that lies ahead, the decision has been made to postpone the upcoming superintendent retreat until we resume normal business operations.

Let me be clear, we are not canceling this event. The superintendent retreat has always been a great gathering, and we are excited to host it later this year. It’s critical that we focus on our business and the safety of our employees right now along with pushing through the challenges we are currently facing.

I sincerely look forward to the fellowship and celebration of achievements later this year.

Randy Hall

President | CEO
BATSON-COOK CONSTRUCTION

March 18, 2020

Good afternoon,

In an effort to keep everyone updated as much possible on the rapidly changing COVID-19 outbreak, I will be sending a regular email update summary on the status within BC, our protocol, and any updates or changes that might occur due to the changes in government recommendations.

  • At this time, we have no confirmed cases of COVID-19 reported by any of our BC employees or Trade Partners.  There are a number of employees and Trade Partner employees who have reported feeling various symptoms of illness but none that are severe or strongly suspected to be the virus at this time. 
  • The Coronavirus Task Force team (consisting of executive leadership, GMs, VPs of Ops, Director of Communications, and myself) is continuing to meet daily to discuss all potential cases and/or impacts to our employees.
  • Continue to clean and disinfect all frequently touched surfaces as often as possible.  All projects should have wash stations set up and accessible to all project staff to wash with soap and water upon entering the job and when leaving – and often throughout the day.  If you cannot find rentable wash stations, you can purchase utility sinks or construct a sink fairly easily. 
  • Report all potential cases or exposures to me via the BC cares app, by email or phone.  We’ll discuss the situation and make consistent recommendations per the current CDC risk assessment guidelines. 

Please feel free to email me directly (nivers@batson-cook.com) if you have any questions or concerns.

Nicole Ivers, CSP, CIH, CMIOSH
Corporate HSE Director

March 17, 2020

To Our Clients, Design Teams, and Trade Partners:

As the situation surrounding the coronavirus (COVID-19) continues to unfold, we want you to know that the senior management of Batson-Cook Construction has been continuously meeting to stay on top of this situation and monitor the latest developments. Safety is fundamental to our Core Values and extends to the general wellbeing and health of our employees, trade partners, design teams, and clients.

Although the COVID-19 pandemic has been and will be a challenge, our main objective is to keep job sites open and working, and to limit human contact during this unprecedented public health emergency. Our protocol to support that goal includes:

  • Project-based personnel will be on a rotational plan to share the load and mitigate the risk of exposure.
  • Essential travel by our employees will be the only travel until further notice. We have banned all air travel.
  • Per CDC recommendations, group meetings have been cancelled unless approved by leadership.
  • Jobsite OAC and Trade Partner meetings will be limited to less than 10 people in person.
  • We are taking attendance of every person on the jobsite and in the office, every day.
  • Many of our clients, particularly for hospitals and occupied senior living facilities, have instituted screening and specific safety procedures. We have and will continue to communicate these to our trade partners.
  • BCC will conduct safety toolbox meetings focused on hygiene and social distancing regularly with our own personnel and our trade partner superintendents who will then conduct with their teams.
  • We have provided hand sanitizer and other disinfectants to all project sites.
  • If an employee has the virus, we will:
    • send the employee home
    • notify the client
    • prepare an organized plan to respond, which may include suspending work for a minimum of 48 hours
    • require that all personnel exposed or infected be self-quarantined according to CDC guidelines
    • coordinate with project teams and the CDC guidelines regarding re-opening the office or jobsite.

Our priority is to keep everyone safe while continuing normal operations on both the jobsites and in our offices. We are doing everything we can to make sure you stay connected with us and our plans in this ever-evolving situation. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us.

Randy Hall
President & CEO, Batson-Cook Construction

March 16, 2020

We have been, and will continue to, follow the CDC Guidelines regarding all decisions relating to the Coronavirus. The CDC guidelines can be found at www.coronavirus.gov. These guidelines are changing daily and will be periodically updated on this page.

The protocols we present today are driven by one overarching principal – to do our part in limiting human contact so that we can assist in stopping the spread of the virus.

1. Our protocol for work from home.

a. We are encouraging and supporting office-based employees to work from home if they can.
b. Those employees that are project based, work with your project supervisor to create a rotation plan so that everyone is sharing the load.
c. All employees are asked to get with their GM or Department manager no later than tomorrow to create a plan. This protocol will go into effect on Wednesday, March 18 through Friday, March 27. We will re-evaluate the situation and provide an update on the afternoon of March 27.

 

2. Our protocol for domestic business travel.

a. Essential travel should be the only travel until further notice. All travel must be done by automobile. Air travel is only permitted unless approved by CEO and COO.

 

3. Our protocol for company gatherings.

a. All conferences, training, and group meetings should be cancelled unless approved by CEO and COO.
     - Stop the use of all food trucks on jobsites.
     - Per CDC recommendations – minimize jobsite gathering to less than 50 people – this means you may need to hold multiple safety meetings on larger projects.

 

4. Our protocol for tracking attendance.

a. Track every person on the jobsite and in the office, every day. Nancy Black will email an attendance log that we want everyone to use.
b. If you or someone you know has the virus or has been exposed to the virus, notify us using the non-injury notification reporting form under the safety tab in the BC Cares App or directly to Nicole Ivers by email or phone.

 

5. Our protocol for the workplace (office & jobsite) following a case of exposure.

a. Notify Batson-Cook Construction by using the “Near Miss or Non-Injury Notification” form under “Safety” on the BC Cares App.
b. Send the employee home as well as those considered exposed.
c. Prepare an organized plan to stop work at the job or office for minimum for 48 hours
d. Get with Nicole Ivers regarding process to wipe and clean the jobsite or office.
e. Require that all exposed or infected be self-quarantined for 14 days.
f. Coordinate with BCC Task Force and CDC guidelines regarding re-opening the office or jobsite.

         

6. Our protocol for Future Communication

a. This page will be continuously updated with the latest company information. Updates will also go out via email.
b. We want you to post a flyer at offices & jobsites ASAP.
c. Trade Partners & Owners
     - Further communication forthcoming
d. Task Force communication will use the COVID19 Intranet page to communicate going forward