Updated Advice for Tradespeople

New rules relating to social distancing and the management of risk relating to Cornavirus are set to start in England and Scotland from Monday 19th July 2021.

Work in both domestic and commercial settings will remain largely unaffected by these changes, although the government will be updating advice over the coming days by publishing details on their respective websites.

England
Northern Ireland
Scotland
Wales

The British Prime Minister has emphasised that this “pandemic is not over” and the risk to people remains a constant.

BiKBBI issue the following advice to members:

Personal responsibility and common sense is advised. The virus remains on the rise in the UK and the pandemic is not over. We all have a responsibility to apply common sense and we should all remain conscious of the risk.

Pre-arrival contact with customers to confirm health status remains. Presence of symptoms should halt the project and government advice sought on isolation. Where a positive test for any party is present, isolation must be adopted in accordance with NHS guidance.

Social distancing should be adopted where possible. Avoidance of personal contact, including handshaking should be considered. If travelling in close contact with others, for instance in vans, we recommend masks are used and windows are opened.

The wearing of masks becomes a personal choice in England, but BiKBBI recommends that when in close contact with co-workers and customers, masks are worn when on premises.

Regular sanitisation of hands and surfaces remain unchanged. Priority should be given to the thorough sanitisation of hands and workspace, including tools – especially shared tools and spaces.

No sharing of food / drink, to include use of customer facilities. Tradespeople should make provision for refreshment away from the customers property.

Ventilation of working environments is important and all areas of work should be well ventilated with fresh air from outside. Avoid the use of fans / heaters in confined spaces.