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Health & Safety Our Health & Safety page provides important information about coronavirus symptoms and steps employers can take to educate themselves and their employees to help prevent the spread of the disease.
Legislative Updates Our legislative page includes the latest developments on the Hill, including coronavirus bills and disaster assistance for small businesses.
Business Impacts and Continuity Visit this section to see resources assembled for you and your business.
News & Announcements
May 18, 2020
TCC Fly-In THIS WEEK
Late last Friday, it was announced that the TCC Fly-In, originally scheduled for earlier this year, will be held virtually this Thurs., May 21 from 12:15 p.m. to 2 p.m. EDT. You’ll hear from four congressional committee leaders on the prospects of short-term relief legislation for state departments of transportation as well as the long-term reauthorization of the FAST Act surface transportation law, which expires Sept. 30. Participants will have the opportunity to ask questions of the legislators and will receive an update on previous and upcoming TCC activities. Click here for more information and to register.
May 12, 2020
House Unveils COVID-19 Legislation
House Democrats introduced their version of the next COVID-19 stimulus package entitled the Health and Economic Recovery Omnibus Emergency Solutions Act, or the HEROES Act. The legislation would provide $3 trillion to a myriad of programs to provide support amid the COVID-19 pandemic and is viewed as a starting point in House negotiations with the Senate and White House. Specifically, the bill includes hazard pay for frontline healthcare workers and essential workers. The bill could be considered in the House as soon as Friday. Click here to read more.
May 6, 2020
Remote Laboratory Assessments Available
AASTHOre:source announced it will conduct remote laboratory assessments. If your laboratory requires assessment to gain accreditation, resolve an accreditation issue, or to satisfy a project owner, then a remote assessment may meet that need during these times. A remote assessment is conducted using a combination of desktop auditing, online web conferencing, and video streaming to obtain evidence of compliance to quality management system and testing standards. Click here for more information.
May 4, 2020
Important NAPA Member Briefing This Week
Attention NAPA members: Join us this Thursday, May 7 as NAPA staff detail the impacts of COVID-19 on the asphalt pavement industry. Staff experts will brief members on health and safety issues, the current legislative outlook, and the business environment in states across the U.S. In this members-only webinar, participants can ask questions of the NAPA staff as our industry continues to navigate the COVID-19 era. Click here to register today.
April 29, 2020
Download the UPDATED Construction Industry Safety Coalition’s (CISC) Response Plan here. CISC is comprised of over two dozen trade associations, including NAPA (view CISC’s membership information here). The updated response plan, provided as a Microsoft Word template, can be tailored to individual companies. Changes to the original plan are noted in red. The template also includes a training checklist, a toolbox talk, an employee notification form, screening tools, and other important documents and information. Read more about the asphalt road construction industry’s suggested practices for preventing the spread of COVID-19 by visit our “Preventing the Spread” page and “Additional Best Practices for the Asphalt Industry” page.
Discussions Heat Up Over “Work-Related” Coronavirus
Over the past month, state and federal agencies and legislatures have started to address whether COVID-19 can or should be considered “work-related” in essential workers and whether the illness is compensable under a state Workers’ Compensation program. While federal OSHA still requires the employer to determine whether a COVID-19 illness is “work-related,” some state Workers’ Comp boards are specifying otherwise. For the most up-to-date information, including a state-by-state analysis, click here.
In addition, questions have been raised about whether the government should shield employers from potential liability associated with business-related COVID-19 illnesses in employees or clientele (e.g., customers and subcontractors). Liability protections may be one of the central fights in Phase 4 coronavirus legislation. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has indicated he will insist that any future COVID-19 legislation include provisions legally protecting hospitals, health providers and other businesses against potential lawsuits regarding infections. Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) responded that she would not support legal immunity that weakens the rights of workers and patients.
April 21, 2020
NAPA Requests Federal Infrastructure Funding Amid Decline in Transportation Revenue
State projections are showing significant declines in transportation revenue as a result of a 50 percent vehicle traffic decline. In certain states, toll road traffic is down 67 percent. Today, NAPA sent a letter to U.S. Senate and House leaders, urging quick action to enact financial relief, as proposed by the state departments of transportation (DOTs) through the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO). Additionally, NAPA requests congressional leadership to enact – before the FAST Act expires this fall – a multi-year reauthorization bill of at least five years and increase investments that will contribute to the nation’s economic recovery while improving the National Highway System. In tandem, NAPA launched a grassroots effort to make it easy for industry leaders to send their own letter to their representatives and senators.
April 17, 2020
Construction Workers Listed as “Essential” in CISA Guidance
The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) issued updated guidance (version3.0) on essential workers. In the section on “Public Works and Infrastructure Support Services” (page 13 of the above linked pdf), language has been added to include the following as essential workers: employees who support the construction, maintenance, or rehabilitation of critical infrastructure; and workers who support construction materials production, testing laboratories, material delivery services, and construction inspection.
Active Employee Screening as an Infection Control Measure
Active screening of workers can be conducted as a requirement to entering the jobsite, before the start of each shift, and continued throughout the day, as necessary. The Hawaii construction industry provides a sample jobsite policy for employee screening of COVID-19 and use of the COVID-19 Health Assessment Questionnaire. Click here to read more.
Airport Grant Deadline Extended
May 4 is the new deadline for an airport to notify the FAA if it intended to use its FY 2020 Airport Improvement Program (AIP) grant funds. The original deadline was April 1. This announcement applies only to the AIP funds provided through the annual appropriations bill.
April 14, 2020
President Trump, Governors Debate Reopening the U.S. Economy
In a series of tweets and at yesterday’s White House press conference, President Trump announced he is taking formal steps to reopen the economy by assembling a task force. Noticeably absent from the task force are Secretary of Health Alex Azar or any other administration health officials who have guided the pandemic response. Showing concern about reopening, Dr. Anthony Fauci has said he feels “we’re not there yet.”
Under federal emergency management statutes, governors play the more pivotal role in ordering and enforcing economic restrictions. Gov. Andrew Cuomo of New York described reopening of the economy by slowly expanding the sectors of essential services. Gov. Gavin Newsom of California outlined six benchmarks which must be met to begin the state’s reopening process. Many states are forming regional action plans with neighboring states. As our leaders work to mitigate economic impacts, we still need to let them know that the construction industry must be designated as essential. Click here to send a letter to your governor today.
CDC Updates High-Risk Individual Guidelines
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) updated its list of conditions which place an individual at higher risk for COVID-19. The revised list has direct implications to accessing COVID-19 testing, as CDC guidelines require in some cases that a patient be at higher risk in order to be tested. The full guidance is available HERE.
April 10, 2020
CDC Guidance on Returning to Work After Potential COVID-19 Exposure
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has issued interim guidance for employers of critical infrastructure workers in safely returning those employees to work after possible exposure to the coronavirus. This includes workers being in household contact or having close contact with someone confirmed or suspected to have COVID-19. It also includes contact with a symptomatic individual and contact with an individual during the 48 hours before he or she became symptomatic.
The CDC advises that critical infrastructure workers may return to work after potential exposure, so long as they remain asymptomatic and the following additional precautions are taken:
- Prescreening the employee’s temperature;
- Regular monitoring under the supervision of the employer’s occupational health program;
- Employee should wear a mask at all times in the workplace for 14 days after last exposure;
- Workplace social distancing;
- Regular and thorough disinfecting of all work areas, especially common areas.
April 8, 2020

COVID-19 Video Tutorial for Construction Workers
NAPA member CRH Americas Materials produced a thorough video tutorial on what road construction workers can do to prevent the transmission of the coronavirus. The video is intended to help other companies educate their employees as well. Versions of the video with English, Spanish, and French subtitles are also available. Contact NAPA Communications Director Monica Dutcher to request those versions.
AASHTO Asks Congress For $50B Fiscal Backstop For State DOTs
The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) sent a letter to Congressional leadership on April 6 requesting the immediate injection of $49.95 billion to offset an estimated 30 percent loss in state transportation revenues over the next 18 months. AASHTO is requesting that the nearly $50 billion be distributed to state DOTs via formula funding, a figure that includes $16.7 billion to cover revenue losses for the remainder of fiscal year 2020 and $33.3 billion for FY 2021. In addition, AASHTO is asking Congress to pass a “robust” surface transportation reauthorization legislation in order to provide a long-term boost to the nation’s economy once the COVID-19 pandemic subsides.
Call to Action: Next Coronavirus Supplemental Should Include Transportation Investment
NAPA asks industry leaders to contact their U.S. senators and representatives to urge them to include a multi-year surface transportation investment package in the next round of coronavirus relief legislation. It’s easy — the letter is already written. You just have to enter your name, home address, and phone number. Click here to send your letter today.
Earlier News & Announcements
NAPA Advocates for the Industry Amid Pandemic
Since the pandemic outbreak, NAPA has signed on to the following letters in support of the industry:
Click here for an archive of all previous COVID-19 News & Announcements.
NAPA Resources
NAPA Webinar on Coronavirus/COVID-19: Business & Workplace Implications
A must for business owners, HR managers, and health & safety professionals, NAPA’s 90 minute webinar, presented by labor and employment attorneys with Ogletree Deakins, focuses on a company’s operational labor and employment requirements during the pandemic.
NAPA Webinar on 2020 Market Outlook for Asphalt Pavement
This webinar provides NAPA’s views on the various drivers impacting demand for asphalt pavement in 2020 and beyond, covering such topics as Federal-aid Highway funding, Airport Improvement Program (AIP) grants, state legislation and ballot initiative trends, and the pending reauthorizing of the FAST Act in Congress. Click here to download the webinar.
Other NAPA Webinars
CrewSafety Work Zone Training CrewSafety’s online format allows contractors to provide their paving crews with work zone safety training in an online format.
Other Key Resources
Centers for Disease Control (CDC): COVID-19 Overview
CDC: Workplace, School, Home Guidance
CDC: Keeping the Workplace Safe
CDC: Resources for Businesses and Employers
Department of Labor (DOL): Guidance for Preparing Workplaces for Coronavirus
DOL: OHSA Resources for Workers and Employers on COVID-19
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA): Disinfectants for Use Against COVID-19
U.S. Chamber of Commerce: Coronavirus Toolkit
World Health Organization (WHO): Situation Reports
Johns Hopkins COVID-19 Tracker: https://systems.jhu.edu/
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