As we continue to evaluate the coronavirus and its effects on the Philadelphia region, we want to make you aware of updates regarding the response of the City of Philadelphia, the state of Pennsylvania, and the Department of Licensing & Inspection. One of our primary goals as your association is to maintain a clear line of communication in order to support our members in maintaining a safe and healthy workforce.
Yesterday the Philadelphia Mayor signed an executive order establishing new restrictions on commercial activity, and a halt to all non-essential City government operations, in order to reduce the spread of the COVID-19 novel coronavirus in Philadelphia. The executive order clearly designates general construction services as an essential infrastructure and industrial business and therefore not subject to the new restrictions.
Please note that construction activity does not fall under the newly announced restrictions on business activity in Philadelphia.
Additionally, GBCA has been informed by the City Administration that the Department of Licensing & Inspection’s services will continue but the Municipal Services Building Concourse (MSB) will be closed as long as business activity is restricted. Below is a list of highlighted details on their available services. NO permits will be processed or issued today as the department migrates to the eCLIPSE system. See more information on the eCLIPSE migration here.
- No in-person submissions of permit applications in the MSB concourse. You cannot pick up permits at the Permit and License Center because the MSB is closed. L+I will update us on the work around for this and we will get the information to you as soon as we have it.
- All pre-eCLIPSE submissions and new applications made via eCLIPSE will be reviewed.
- Inspections must be scheduled using eCLIPSE or the Interactive Voice Response (IVR) phone system.
Similar to Mayor Kenney’s executive order, the governor clarified his order to allow construction activity to proceed. We will continue to monitor these developments and provide you with accurate up to date information as we receive it.
Above all, it is important to reiterate these basic safety protocols that most people already know, which will limit your possible exposure to the coronavirus. Wash your hands frequently, don’t touch your face, stay home if you’re sick.
Hygiene is of the utmost importance at this time. Here is a link to some tips regarding how to keep your workforce healthy and safe. Here are some tips regarding how to keep your workforce healthy and safe:
In response to concerns about the spread of the coronavirus, GBCA is providing employers with guidance on how to ensure workers’ safety on jobsites:
Additionally, GBCA has compiled a Toolbox Talk <link to Toolbox Talk> for employer use. Information contained is from OSHA and the CDC.
Other Relevant Documents and Resources
Announcement about MSB being closed on March 17, 2020:
Mayor Kenney’s Executive Order:
Governor Wolf’s COVID-19 Mitigation Efforts:
OSHA has also provided a detailed document which outlines how we can prepare our workforce for the coronavirus:
