Coronavirus: a message from Mace Group CEO Mark Reynolds

“On Tuesday afternoon, we made the decision to temporarily suspend operations on all of Mace’s construction sites for a 48 hour period.

“The Government has been clear that work on the UK’s construction sites must continue as long as Public Health England guidance is followed at all times.

“The health, safety and wellbeing of all colleagues who work for Mace, and the people who work on our projects, is our first priority, and we have been clear we will not re-open sites unless we are certain we can do so safely.

“During the 48-hour temporary suspension of operations across all of our construction projects in the UK, our teams have been carefully reviewing that guidance and the direction provided by UK Government.

“We are still currently exploring measures that may allow us to operate a number of sites while adhering to the Construction Leadership Council’s Standard Operating Procedures. In particular, we are reviewing the impact on public transport networks in London and are considering what alternative travel arrangements can be introduced.

“As a result, we have decided to extend our temporary site suspension until at least 08:00 on Tuesday 31 March while our review continues. As such, no construction work, other than safety critical work or activities required to protect or secure construction projects, will take place for the remainder of this week and Monday.

“We anticipate the current guidance on social distancing measures will be in place for many months, perhaps throughout this year. It is absolutely vital to our national interest that parts of the economy are able to resume operations in some way, to deliver essential works and preserve our critical construction and manufacturing capability. We continue to work closely with the Construction Leadership Council and other bodies to establish and share best practice on how the industry is able to safely operate in line with Public Health England guidelines.

“During this critical time I am calling on the construction industry to act responsibly and develop a coordinated and collective response to this crisis.

“Once again, I would like to thank all of our colleagues, supply chain partners and clients for their support during this complex and challenging time.”

Statement issued 15:00 GMT, Thursday 26 March