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Construction crews are at a heightened level of safety this week as they return to work after last week’s storm.

That means addressing safety issues on every aspect as temperatures rise and ice melts, said Chuck Moore, project manager for Walsh Construction Co., which is building the Grant Park Village project in Northeast Portland.

Walsh crews on Monday thawed ice on metal stairs with weed burners – blowtorch-like devices.

“We’ll huddle and talk about (safety) daily,” Moore said. “Specifically, we’ll go over all the scheduled items – from a delivery standpoint, from a materials standpoint. How can we make things safe?”

Whenever possible, crews should take caution before getting back to work, said Melanie Mesaros, spokeswoman for the Oregon Occupational Safety and Health Division. That means playing it safe and delaying some actions – like climbing onto a roof – for at least a day or two, she said.

“We don’t have any regulations that say you have to stop, but we would expect companies to assess those conditions and do the safest thing for their workers,” she said.

If work has to be done, companies should be mindful that their employees have proper clothing, including gloves and footwear, Mesaros said. Also, they should provide training for winter driving if needed, she said.

Employees should warm up their bodies before heavy exertion and take breaks throughout the day, Mesaros said.

For Hassalo on Eighth, a $192 million, mixed-use development in the Lloyd District, an extended weather-related holdup would be a problem, said Travis Harris, project superintendent for Turner Construction Co.

“If the delay became two or three weeks, we’d be concerned,” he said. “Our goal is to work most efficiently while being safe.”

The project is slated to finish in fall 2015. The multi-block job site closed early Wednesday and remained that way Monday because of snow and ice.

“Safety-wise, we effectively don’t put anyone to work when there’s snow on the ground,” Harris said. “We’re hopeful that these torrential rains are going to clean up the snow.”

Safety issues also prompted one of the region’s largest concrete and asphalt suppliers to stop service temporarily. Glendora, Calif.-based CalPortland, which provides concrete and other materials to the construction industry, closed this past Wednesday and wasn’t expected to reopen until Tuesday, said Michael Wagy, general sales manager for the Portland-metro area and Southwest Washington.

Slick and icy roads made deliveries unsafe, he said, and temperatures over the weekend were too low to accommodate effective service.

“We have to determine if we can produce concrete in a safe manner,” Wagy said. “If the roads are the least bit slick, we can’t do it.”

Tips for winter safety

Oregon OSHA encourages employers to take the following precautions:

• Keep walkways clear from ice and snow and provide entry mats outside of indoor areas.

• Review with employees identified inclement weather procedures and specific job hazards.

• Prepare a roadside emergency kit for company vehicles; items may include water, food, flares, a blanket, a window scraper and tire chains (when required).