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Relief following Gov. Jay Inslee’s announcement that 鈥渓ow risk鈥� construction can resume in Washington has quickly given way to questions and concerns.

How expensive will it be to staff a COVID-19 safety coordinator at each job site? How can contractors manage the ongoing shortages of masks and other personal protective equipment? And is it even possible for workers to maintain 6 feet of distance from each other, at risk of being shut down?

鈥淭he proof will be in the pudding about whether we can make them work,鈥� said Mike Salsgiver, executive director of the Associated General Contractors‘ Oregon-Columbia chapter, which includes Southwest Washington. 鈥淏ut right now, I put any movement toward reopening construction in the state of Washington as a good thing.鈥�

Washington construction was largely shut down for nearly a month. The COVID-19 pandemic slammed to a halt a decade-long construction boom that transformed skylines in Vancouver, Seattle and other cities.

Inslee’s order, issued Friday, will allow Southwest Washington contractors like Robertson & Olson Construction to return to work. The company is building projects including The Aria apartments, a six-story, 127-unit multifamily building; and a tower for local developer Al Angelo Co.

Matt Olson, president of Robertson & Olson, said the firm was fortunate to have projects in Oregon that continued during the Washington shutdown. The company also kept working on a project for Vancouver Clinic that was deemed essential. Olson said he was empathetic for contractors that were not as diversified.

鈥淚t’s not an equal playing field,鈥� he said.

Some of Inslee’s rules will be difficult or impossible to implement perfectly, construction industry executives said. Perhaps most difficult will be social distancing. Industry officials said there are many scenarios, from installing heavy equipment to finishing apartment interiors, where it’s unrealistic to keep workers 6 feet apart.

鈥淚t’s hard for government to sit down and think through everything,鈥� Olson said. 鈥淚t’s going to be next to impossible that we do 100 percent social distancing, and that’s going to be across the board.鈥�

Safety equipment remains in short supply.

鈥淚 can’t go and buy 2,000 N95 (masks), so we’re doing like everyone else: We’re getting what we can, and asking our contractors to do the same,鈥� Olson said.

Robertson & Olson will do everything it can to adhere to the state rules, Olson said.

鈥淲hat we’re doing is putting the best practices possible in place for social distancing, cleanliness and education.鈥�
Inslee, in a news conference on Friday, emphasized that social distancing is not optional.

鈥淚f it can’t be done with social distancing, then it cannot proceed at this time,鈥� he said.

Inslee arrived at the rules along with health and local government officials in consultation with a working group of construction and labor representatives.

鈥淲e have been working toward this measure for some time, and this work has allowed us to create a very comprehensive safety plan,鈥� he said.

The work group included representatives of the Building Industry Association of Washington, the Washington State Building and Construction Trades Council, the Association of Washington Business, International Union of Operating Engineers Local 302, Associated General Contractors, and the Pacific Northwest Regional Council of Carpenters.