Following a monthlong moratorium on construction and other trades, one and two-person crews will be allowed to return to work Monday under strict new guidelines approved by all six Island towns.

The guidelines, containing detailed protocols for hygiene and social distancing, are referred to as phase one of a developing plan to safely and slowly transition the workforce back to full steam once the coronavirus threat subsides.

The guidelines were developed by a working group that included building inspectors, health agents, and representatives from the construction and landscaping professions, among others, and will be enforced by town building inspectors and boards of health.

“We are dealing with a very complex situation. . . there can be a lot of gray areas,” said Omar Johnson, West Tisbury health agent. “There will likely be some unforeseen circumstances that we will address and incorporate into phase two.”

The guidelines distinguish between construction sites, which are projects that require a building permit, and work sites, which include landscaping, carpentry and painting. While workers at both types of sites must observe certain practices, there are more rigid protocols for those specifically working on construction sites. The working group that drafted the phase one guidelines has created a detailed list of questions and answers about what is permitted (appended below).

For all types of labor, workers are required to keep a six-foot distance from each other while on site and during breaks. In work conditions where distancing is not possible, workers are required to wear personal protective equipment. No work is allowed inside an occupied home unless the work is an emergency to maintain the safety or habitability of the home. Work gloves must be worn, and workers may not travel in the same vehicle during the work day or share rides to work.

Additionally, all shared surfaces must be disinfected at the end of the work day, including tools, door handles, bathrooms and gates. Guidelines for stopping the spread of the coronavirus must be posted at the entrance of the job site, on each floor of the job site, in the bathroom or porta-potty and inside any office or storage area. Guidelines for proper hand washing must also be posted at all sinks.

A construction site must have at least one bathroom or approved equivalent. It also must be equipped with a hand washing station with running water, pump soap, paper towels mounted on a holder or in a dispenser, and a trash bin.

Running water is only required for construction sites. Other work sites are required to have portable water for proper hand washing, and workers must always carry hand sanitizer.

Starting Monday, construction companies can begin taking steps to ensure that their sites are in compliance with the new guidelines. Once sites are in compliance, the site supervisor can request an inspection from the town’s building inspector, who will then decide if the site is authorized to reopen.

Edgartown building inspector Reade Milne said before the pandemic, the town had a record number of active building permits. She said there were 57 sites with one or two workers, 118 sites with between three and eight workers and 37 sites with nine or more workers. Though all must be scaled down to a maximum of two-person crews, Ms. Milne said workers she has spoken to were relieved to safely return to work.

“I am anticipating that the vast majority of permits will be active again,” Ms. Milne said. “Most contractors are already figuring out how they can best be prepared to hit the ground running as soon as I authorize their site . . . You can build a 10 thousand square foot mansion with two guys, it’s possible, it’s just going to take a lot of time.”

If any site is in violation of the guidelines, a town can either suspend the work authorization for the site until all infractions are corrected and a new inspection is performed. Fines of up to $1,000 could also be imposed. Town building inspectors can also now conduct random inspections of all sites, which was not permitted before, Ms. Milne said.

“We are working very closely with people to educate them, initially,” added Mr. Johnson, the West Tisbury health agent. “Upon more frequent follow-ups, we will take the measure needed in regards to fining and enforcement.”

The building inspector does not have to authorize work sites that do not require a building permit. Work can begin as soon as Monday for laborers such as landscapers and painters, and it will be up to the supervisor to ensure the site is in compliance with the pertinent new rules.

In addition to the social distancing and hygiene requirements, workers on construction sites are required to fill out a wellness questionnaire each day that screens for symptoms. On any other work site, workers must verbally complete the questionnaire with their supervisor. For both construction and other work sites, supervisors are responsible for logging the questionnaires for at least 30 days. A cleaning log must also be kept by the supervisor, boss or manager of the crew. Self-employed laborers must keep records for themselves. If any worker becomes infected with coronavirus, the supervisor must immediately notify the owner of the site, the town’s health agent and building inspector. The logs are intended to aid in contact tracing, if necessary, Ms. Milne said.

Taylor Pierce, of T.C. Pierce Enterprises, is the general contractor for six construction projects in Vineyard Haven, Oak Bluffs and Edgartown that employ a fleet of smaller work crews. He has stocked up on protective equipment and purchased portable water systems to ensure he is ready to request inspections as soon as possible.

He said it will be challenging to stagger the different crews needed on a site. Deadlines to finish projects will likely have to be extended and larger projects that need more than two workers will likely have to be postponed, he said. And he said he may have to find local crews to complete jobs that were started by off-Island companies.

But most of all, he said, he is relieved to have his crews back at work.

“Paid vacation is not something that exists in this field,” he said. “We are all eager to get back to work.”

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Here is an FAQ about the scope of the phase one construction guidelines.