Advice for tradespeople working safely in other people’s homes during COVID-19

As we approach a new normal way of working, for those who are working in customers’ homes, it’s important that you utilise different safety measures and precautions to limit contact and reduce the risk of transmission of COVID-19.

You can find the current Government guidance on working in other peoples homes safely here. Some of the most important factors you must remember are: communicating with your customer, contact points and being hygienic and respectful in a customer’s home.

It’s recommended that before you attend the job, that you contact the customer first to discuss how the work will be carried out, the rooms required and social distancing guidelines, so the risk is minimised.

Remember

Before any appointment, you should always contact the customer to check that anyone living in the house is not self-isolating, shielding or showing symptoms. As a tradesperson, you will be dealing with a lot of customers each week and therefore coming into contact with a lot of people. For this reason, it’s important for both you and the customer that this first step is not skipped.

If you, at any point, start showing any symptoms of COVID-19, you must self-isolate and cancel the any work you have scheduled. You should also contact previous customers you may have had contact with over the previous 2 weeks to notify them to allow them to self-isolate.

Contact

Upon entering the home, do not be tempted to shake hands with your customer and limit the surfaces you are touching. Ask your customer if you could close off the area that you are working in, to avoid unnecessary contact with the rest of the home. Alternatively, ask your customer, where possible, to keep the doors open to allow for ventilation and less contact points.

Take cleaning wipes with you on site and remember, before starting any work, to wipe down the area you are working in, to ensure a clean working area. When you are finished working, be sure to also wipe down your entire working area with cleaning wipes to reduce the risk of any transmission.

PPE

You should make sure to carry PPE with you at all times, so that if required, you are ready. It is best to ask the customer what they would be happier with, as you are working in their home, and they may have a preference that you wear PPE, such as a face covering and/or gloves.

Ultimately, the best case scenario would be that your customer would not be home or not in the same room you are working in, so that it reduces the need for PPE. Current guidelines state that face coverings can be used if you are working in a small space where you cannot socially distance from another person who is not in your household.

Hygiene

Before leaving your home, remember to wash your hands thoroughly for at least 20 seconds and when arriving home, make sure the first thing you do is wash your hands again thoroughly. Bring hand sanitiser with you on jobs and remember to use it often, when you can’t wash your hands.

At the end of the day, wipe down any equipment used, especially if that equipment is shared. As tempting as it is, if a customer offers any food or drink, kindly refuse the offer as there is still a risk of cross-contamination.

If you have to use your customers bathroom, always check with the customer first and make sure to wipe the area down before and after use.