Perhaps like many of you, I am writing this message from my home. In light of safety precautions recommended because of the spread of COVID-19, or the Coronavirus, the American Wood Council (AWC) has closed our multi-person offices in Leesburg, Virginia, and Washington, D.C. until such time as the threat to everyone passes. While all our operations continue, including our field offices, staff travel has also been suspended, but we plan to keep providing normal services to our members, information users, and key audiences. Some of our recent activities include:
Essential Workforce
In anticipation of the federal government developing a national “shelter-in-place” order that would identify which industries would be required to close, AWC requested through the Department of Homeland Security’s Cyber and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) that wood products manufacturing be exempted. The CISA list that was ultimately released included the wood products industry as an “Essential Critical Infrastructure Workforce.” That list was subsequently amended to include supply chains of Essential Industries.
While the federal list was only released as “guidance,” since its issuance many states have referenced it as mandatory within their jurisdictions. It appears getting on the early federal list was very fortuitous. We have been working with a number of our companies to monitor the proliferation of state orders and providing factual information about the CISA list and its integration of exemptions for supply chains. In fact, if you’re in a state still considering such orders, we would encourage you to share the CISA list with your state’s Governor, local officials, and emergency planners. It would appear that reference to the federal guidance may provide you with support to justify keeping your facilities operating, hopefully in a COVID-19-safe manner.
Federal Activity
The President has declared a national emergency that opens the availability of more federal aid to states and municipalities facing economic threats from the virus. The declaration also allows for use of more resources in directly combatting COVID-19.
On the legislative front, Congress has passed an emergency supplemental appropriations bill that includes tax credits for paid sick leave and paid family and medical leave, as well as enhanced unemployment insurance, expanded food assistance programs, and increased federal fund for Medicaid. Further legislation is expected to address relief for various affected industries and an overall economic stimulus. And, the Small Business Administration has announced the availability of disaster assistance loans in designated states and territories affected by COVID-19.
As an extra precaution for all of our industry workplaces to consider, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has released updated “Guidance on Preparing Workplaces for COVID-19.” The guidance outlines steps workplaces can take to reduce workers’ risk of exposure, as well as how an outbreak may affect workplaces. We would recommend it to you.
Education Opportunity
As in-person education events have been cancelled or postponed across the nation, AWC has been reaching out to the building code and structural engineering community to offer assistance, as we are equipped to provide remote education quite easily. In addition to AWC’s complimentary eCourses and monthly complimentary webinars, AWC is also delivering complimentary continuing education webinars that allow obtaining required continuing education credit, especially popular now that many are confined to their homes.
Stay Safe
For many in our industry, working from home is not an option when essential facilities are operating. For those companies that are keeping the construction supply lines going, we wish you safe operations and continued healthy workers. For those who have the ability to allow a hopefully brief break that keeps workers at home, we thank you for contributing to, as it is now called, “social distancing.”
We are confident that by all of us taking advantage of various and diverse technologies, we will all be able to keep operations and services running safely, while keeping staff healthy.
We hope all of you, your employees, and families stay safe.