This is a job site safety issue about which the less said the better (IMHO). I believe the specifications should require the Contractor to develop appropriate guidelines that are consistent with current regulations, submit them to the Architect for information only, and distribute them to anyone who will be on the jobsite.
Where the Owner has developed requirements, the Contractor’s requirements should be consistent with those requirements. This could be the case for interior renovations, especially for health care and retirement facilities, but could include other types of facilities as well.
While I understand Mr.Gilligan’s point, the reality is that these requirements are changing, and it is ultimately the Contractor’s responsibility to be current and enforce guidelines among anyone on the jobsite (including employees, subcontractors, delivery people, Architects and Owners).
We have language in our agreement for services. The owners have language in their agreement for services. And, there are state/local requirements for running the job site. If the owner owns health care facilities, we often put their “infection control” requirements in the specs and designate that it comes directly from the Owner.
I don’t think we should be making claims about health procedures – we aren’t licensed in that discipline, can’t enforce those requirements and mostly don’t know what we’re doing in that regard.
Now, with regard to our own staff, we can certainly have requirements for their participation. We’ve issued those a few times in the past few months. If the contractor is not complying (ie, conference rooms are too small, no one is wearing a mask, etc), our staff can remove themselves from the site and submit a report stating those conditions.
regarding copper: it may be anti-microbial, but its not anti-virus. Our health care clients generally do not allow products that purport to be “anti-microbial”. They feel that they can cause a completely different set of problems, especially for people with compromised immune systems.
I agree with Anne about “anti-microbial”. Few, if any products so labeled meet the FDA requirements for preventing or controlling a disease. The building product manufacturers that make anti-microbial claims still say you have to wash the treated surface, so what do you gain?
More, there is evidence that anti-microbial products contribute to the evolution of “superbugs” that are resistant to antibiotics.