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The Construction Section of the Washington State Bar Association, in partnership with Stoel Rives, will present its annual full day seminar (via webinar) on June 12.  Co-chaired by Bart Reed (Partner at Stoel Rives), Brett Hill (Partner at Ahlers, Cressman & Sleight), and Ron English (Retired General Counsel of the Seattle Public Schools), the webinar…

In Conway Construction Company v. City of Puyallup, No. 80649-1-1 (May 4, 2020), the Washington Court of Appeals, Division 1, adopted Oregon’s Shelter Products, Inc. v. Steelwood Construction, Inc., precluding certain claims for defects in termination cases and limiting the justification for termination to those listed in the termination notice.  It also held that Washington’s settlement statute protecting public owners, RCW 39.04.240, trumps an attorney fee provision in a contract.

In Conway, the City of Puyallup (“City”) contracted with Conway Construction Company (“Conway”) to construct certain roadway improvements.  During the project, the City became concerned about construction defects.  The City issued notices to Conway expressing its concerns.  The City also observed unsafe work conditions and reported the safety violations to the Washington State Department of Labor & Industries.  After issuing a series of notices, the City terminated Conway because of its defective work and safety violations.

OSHA’s General Duty Clause requires an employer to provide a workplace free from recognized hazards that are likely to cause death or serious physical harm.  In the current pandemic,  COVID-19 qualifies and contractors should draft a COVID-19 policy for their worksites implementing the latest guidance in order to minimize the hazard and protect employees.

In addition to OSHA’s COVID-19 standards, on April 21, 2020, OSHA published a list of tips that can help reduce the risk of exposure to COVID-19 in the construction industry.  Some of those tips include:

  • Allowing workers to wear masks over their noses and mouths to prevent them from spreading the virus.
  • Training workers on how to properly wear and use protective clothing and equipment.
  • Keeping in-person meetings (including toolbox talks and safety meetings) as short as possible and limiting the number of workers in attendance.
  • Encouraging workers to stay home if they are sick.
  • Maintaining physical distance (at least six feet when possible) on the job site and inside work trailers.
  • Encouraging frequent handwashing or sanitizing.

Several weeks have passed since Governor Brown formally ordered all Oregonians to “Stay Home, Save Lives,” and owners, project designers, and contractors have all had the opportunity to absorb its initial impacts.  While many stakeholders were initially relieved that construction projects in Oregon could apparently continue—subject to the various social distancing and travel restrictions described…

State and local officials across the country have responded to COVID-19 with various executive orders and restrictions on businesses to help flatten the curve of the pandemic. Each state’s response opens the door for potential impacts on projects commencing or under construction, and on the parties involved with those projects.

To assist clients and friends,…

In late 2019, the Washington State Department of Transportation and Seattle Tunnel Partners (STP) engaged in a nine-week trial of claims arising from construction of the new State Route 99 tunnel under downtown Seattle. One major issue for the jury was whether STP had encountered “differing site conditions” – unknown underground conditions that differ materially…

On March 23, 2020, Governor Jay Inslee issued the Stay Home, Stay Healthy Proclamation (20‑25) in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.  Originally, the Proclamation was to be in effect through April 8, 2020.  Despite Washington’s aggressive efforts to flatten the curve, on April 2, 2020, Governor Inslee announced his decision to extend the Proclamation through…

On March 23, 2020, Oregon Governor Kate Brown issued Executive Order No. 20-12 directing Oregonians to “Stay Home, Save Lives.”

Unlike “stay home” orders in some other states—which prohibit the operation of all business unless specifically exempted—the Oregon Order prohibits the operation of specific categories of businesses identified in the Order (e.g., amusement parks, aquariums, etc.).  Presumably, this means that if a category of business is not identified, then it is not subject to the prohibition.

Because “construction” is not specifically identified as a prohibited business, it is reasonable for owners and contractors to presume that their projects in Oregon may continue for the time being.  While not explicitly part of the Oregon Order, some are characterizing it as  “permission by omission,” meaning that the omission of a business on the prohibited business list means you have permission to operate that business.  But proceeding under that assumption is not entirely without risk, and there are other important considerations for both owners and contractors to bear in mind, including:

In response to COVID-19, construction projects in California are currently subject to a statewide Executive Order and potentially other similar (or dissimilar) “stay home” or “shelter in place” orders or directives issued by counties and cities. Under the California statewide order, only businesses needed to maintain continuity of operations of identified federal critical infrastructure sectors (click here for the list) may continue to operate. Construction is not identified as a separate “critical infrastructure sector,” but many construction projects fall under the umbrellas of other sectors, such as “critical manufacturing,” “energy,” “healthcare,” and “commercial facilities.” The California State Public Health Officer also designated the following “essential workforce” members of relevance to the construction industry (this is not an exhaustive list):

  • “Construction Workers who support the construction, operation, inspection, and maintenance of construction sites and construction projects (including housing construction)”
  • “Workers such as plumbers, electricians, exterminators, and other service providers who provide services that are necessary to maintaining the safety, sanitation, construction material sources, and essential operation of construction sites and construction projects (including those that support such projects to ensure the availability of needed facilities, transportation, energy and communications; and support to ensure the effective removal, storage, and disposal of solid waste and hazardous waste)”

One challenge somewhat unique to owners and contractors is that the applicable orders are generally directed at identifying “essential businesses” or “critical businesses,” while owners and contractors may have a mix of projects—with some likely essential (such as construction of a hospital), others likely not (such as construction of a nightclub), and many falling in a grey area in between. When analyzing “grey area” projects it is recommended to focus on the traits of the particular project rather than attempt to understand whether your business—which may include a range of projects—can generally continue to operate.