National lockdown for England is underway to help combat the Coronavirus pandemic, while Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland also have their own restrictions in place.
The Government has advised that during lockdown, tradespeople/contractors in England can continue working, meaning there’s no need to delay getting vital work carried out, or postpone your planned home improvement projects.
To make sure work is done with as little risk as possible, the Government has issued guidance on how contractors can work safely in peoples homes during lockdown.
This advice includes:
Tradesmen should not enter the home of anyone who has tested positive for coronavirus and is self isolating.
Postponing work where either the tradesperson or customer are displaying symptoms or in self-isolation and following all self-isolation guidelines.
The tradesperson and residents should communicate prior to any work being carried out, to help limit face to face contact.
Using phone and video calls where possible to avoid face-to-face contact, such as when discussing the job, giving quotes etc.
While the job is being carried out and before leaving the house, the tradesperson should wipe down surfaces they have touched.
Residents requested to wait in an alternate room for the duration of the work. Where this is not possible residents should be requested to keep 2m distant.
Keeping doors and windows open as much as possible during the work to increase ventilation.
Frequent washing of hands and disinfecting areas being used by different people.
Tradesmen supplying their own food and drink - so not using your kettle or mugs, for example.
Tradesmen should not use towels or products also used by people within the household, and they are advised to use paper towels and dispose of these off the property or immediately into an outside waste bin.
What are the rules for tradesmen working in teams?
If a tradesperson works with other individuals, they should work side to side or back to back rather than face to face.
Designated teams should be created to limit the number of people working together in confined spaces.
Any work which is not urgent and cannot be carried out while effectively following the guidelines, should be postponed.
The full guidance for tradespeople working in England can be seen on the Government’s website. Similar guidance exists for Wales and Northern Ireland.