Can builders work during the Covid-19 pandemic

The quick answer to this question is yes. (infomation taken from the govenment website)

Can households undertake renovation work to improve their home or prepare their home for sale during the lockdown 3.0 in England?

Boris Johnson announced that England's third lockdown will begin on Wednesday 6th January 2021, which is expected to last until at least mid-February, with 'stay at home' guidance and the closure of non-essential businesses (which was already in place in most areas following the introduction of the new Tier 4 restrictions).

But as the third national lockdown takes place in the midst of a more transmissible mutant variant of coronavirus (COVID-19), there are still many questions about the new restrictions and how it potentially impacts any home improvement work homeowners had planned, or had already started.

According to gov.uk, there are still circumstances in which you are allowed to meet others from outside your household, childcare or support bubble in larger groups, but only for permitted purposes. This includes tradespeople, including electricians, plumbers, meter readers, repairers of domestic appliances, surveyors etc.

This means, 'a tradesperson can go into a household without breaching the limit, if they are there for work', official government guidance explains.

House moves are also still allowed to go ahead (although people outside your household or support bubble should not help with moving house unless absolutely necessary), and construction sites, estate and letting agents, and removals firms can continue to work. If you are looking to move, you can also go to property viewings. And hardware/DIY stores deemed as 'essential retailers' will also remain open.

In mainland Scotland, work can also continue but it is limited to essential work, such as repairs and maintenance on key household appliances and utilities.

(For lockdown 3.0, please see separate guidance for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland)

Rules for tradespeople

Before any renovation takes place, it is important that tradespeople ensure they operate safely with strict social distancing measures, following guidance that has already been published.

In the first instance, tradespeople should contact the homeowner in advance to check that no member of the household is showing symptoms of coronavirus or self-isolating. Unless critically urgent, works should be delayed.

Tradespeople should also wash their hands on entering the property, minimise contact with homeowners and remain 2 metres apart from householders at all times. If more than one tradesperson is required, implementing a buddy system will ensure that the same people work together where needed. And, working materials, such as tools or domestic appliances, should be assigned to an individual and not shared if possible.

A document prepared by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) with input from firms, unions and industry bodies, has outlined some steps that will usually be needed when working in homes:

1) No work should be carried out in a household which is isolating because one or more family members has symptoms or where an individual has been advised to shield – unless it is to remedy a direct risk to the safety of the household or to the public.

2) When working in a household where somebody is clinically vulnerable, but has not been asked to shield, for example, the home of someone over 70, prior arrangements should be made with vulnerable people to avoid any face-to-face contact, for example, when answering the door. You should be particularly strict about hand washing, coughing and sneezing hygiene, such as covering your nose and mouth and disposing of single-use tissues.

3) Wash your hands more often than usual for 20 seconds using soap and hot water, particularly after coughing, sneezing and blowing your nose. 4) Reduce the spread of germs when you cough or sneeze by covering your mouth and nose with a tissue, or your sleeve (not your hands) if you don’t have a tissue and throw the tissue in a bin immediately, then wash your hands. 5) Clean regularly touched objects and surfaces using your regular cleaning products to reduce the risk of passing the infection on to other people. 6) Communicate with households prior to any visit to discuss how the work will be carried out to minimise risk for all parties. 7) Maintain social distancing guidelines (2m, or 1m with risk mitigation where 2m is not viable) at all times, as far as possible.

8) Tradespeople should frequently clean objects and surfaces that are touched regularly and remove all waste and belongings from the work area at the end of a shift and at the end of a job.