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How will working in the building trade be affected by the second lockdown?
Published: 04 Mar 2022 ・ Read time: 6 mins
Following the latest Covid news, the government will be reinstating new nationwide restrictions and Covid rules from 5 November. Whilst the latest lockdown won’t be as strict as the first lockdown earlier in the year, there are some things both tradespeople and homeowners wanting to do building work during the second lockdown should know.
Working on a construction site
The latest Covid news regarding the lockdown announced that construction sites will continue to operate. The Prime Minister confirmed that new Covid rules will last from November 5 until December 2, adding “Workplaces should stay open where people can’t work from home – for example in the construction or manufacturing sectors.”
If you will be continuing to work on a construction site over the next four weeks, there are some things you can do to ensure a Covid safe workplace for you and your colleagues.
- If you suspect you have symptoms of Covid-19 or you’ve been in contact with someone who has tested positive, you must go home and self-isolate.
- Safety meetings should be delivered by telephone if possible, and face to face meetings should be kept to a minimum. Where this is not possible, a Covid face shield should be worn and a 2 metre (six foot) distance should be adhered to at all times.
- If you are working on a site with trailers, only necessary employees should enter, and social distancing measures maintained. It is important to keep touching surfaces to a minimum, and cleaning hands before and after will help limit the spread of infection from surface to surface contamination.
- You should limit the use of co-workers’
If you are sharing equipment, they must be wiped down with an alcohol-based wipe before and after use.
Working on residential buildings
The Housing Minister, Robert Jenrick also confirmed that builders merchants will remain open and tradespeople will be able to enter residential homes to carry out work. If you will be working on a residential property during the lockdown period, here are some ways you can make the home a Covid secure workplace.
- Upon arrival you should sanitize the area you are working in and continue to sanitize it throughout the day.
- You should continue to adhere to social distancing guidelines, however, for a job where this is not possible, a Covid face shield should be worn. Workers should wash or sanitize hands immediately before starting and after completing the work.
- Where possible, avoid sharing vehicles to and from work if you don’t live with the person you would normally travel with.
Homeowners and planned building work
With the country officially in lockdown again, many homeowners may be wondering how to navigate the coming weeks if building work is planned or already underway. If the new Covid rules will affect you, here are some things you should know, and ways you can help your home be Covid secure when inviting tradespeople in to carry out work.
- If someone in your home is isolating or shielding, no work should be carried out – unless it is to fix something that is a direct risk to the safety of the household. For example, a burst water pipe, gas leak, or
- Michael Gove, Cabinet Office Minister has said, “If you are reconstructing or building a home in which there is no one present…[work] can go on.” If, however, you are having non-essential work done on your home, it should be paused until lockdown is lifted. This will help not only keep members of your household safe, but the builders too.
- If tradespeople are working in your home, ensure you follow the Covid rules regarding social distancing, and wear a Covid face shield when this is not possible.
- If you are able to, leaving the house for the duration the work is being undertaken will also help reduce your risk to exposure.
City Plumbing’s response to Covid
Throughout the pandemic, the safety and wellbeing of our people, our customers, and the communities we serve have, and continue to be our priority. As an important part in the supply chain of building activity, we know how important our role is and will continue to be a safe place for tradespeople and homeowners.
In order to protect colleagues and customers, and ensure our business can remain open, we have adopted Covid safe workplace practices, and have been following the guidelines set out by the Department for Business, Energy, and Industrial Strategy (BEIS), other Government departments, trade associations, and experts to develop guidance for colleagues, customers, and other stakeholders.
With City Plumbing you can shop all the essentials you need to carry out your building job. We even have Free Delivery on all orders over £50 to help keep you safe during the pandemic, and ensure your jobs can still be completed in a timely manner.
In order for our industry to thrive we must all follow the guidelines, and here at City Plumbing, we’re proud to be championing Covid safe workplaces.
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