City Government Extends Allowable Hours of Construction in Philly

On May 1, 2020, construction activities were allowed to resume in Pennsylvania, subject to strict adherence to certain safety and social distancing guidelines.  Subsequently, the City of Philadelphia imposed more stringent requirements on construction taking place within city limits. 

One of the requirements, a restriction on hours of work, was relaxed this week. 

Specifically, the restriction that construction only take place from Mondays through Fridays between the hours of 7:00 a.m. through 5:00 p.m. was modified to apply only to single and two-family residential projects.  Construction on commercial and larger residential construction projects may now take place during regular construction hours, which are Monday through Friday, 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. and on Saturdays and Sundays from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. 

All other restrictions remain in place, including that construction only take place on projects for which either a demolition or building permit was issued on or before March 20, 2020, as well as a prohibition on the following: construction on the interior of residential structures or in common areas of multi-family buildings, except emergency repairs; underpinning work; demolition of attached structures; and projects that require the support of an existing party wall unless written authorization is given by the City of Philadelphia’s Department of Licenses and Inspections (“L&I”). 

Additionally, a Pandemic Safety Officer is required for each job site in Philadelphia and must obtain a Covid-19 training certificate from one of the training sources designated by L&I on its website.  The Pandemic Safety Officer is responsible for conveying, implementing, and enforcing the masking, social distancing, sanitization, and other requirements for the protection of employees, suppliers, and other personnel at the job site.  A Covid-19 Safety Plan must be maintained at every job site and should outline the site’s plans for complying with all applicable orders and guidance and educating workers on safety precautions and measures to mitigate the risk of spreading Covid-19.  Such a plan should be available to be produced upon request by L&I.  

Violation of the restrictions could result in issuance of violation notices, Stop Work Orders, imposition of fines, the revocation or suspension of licenses, “and any other remedies”. 

If you have questions about guidelines for construction activities in Philadelphia, please feel free to contact us at contact@nochumson.com and an attorney at Nochumson P.C. will immediately reach out to you to schedule a free consultation.