Checkatrade has worked with the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy to produce guidance for homeowners looking to carry out work in homes.
Make sure your customers are aware of these guidelines – Professional Builder has also produced a handy infographic you can download and share.
Six measures homeowners are strongly encouraged to undertake, to ensure that any maintenance or home improvement work is carried out smoothly and safely:
- Keep in touch. Regular contact with your tradesperson in advance of any home visit is important – talk through details of the work being carried out and agree how risks can be reduced.
- Be honest.If you have symptoms of the virus, or if you have been advised to shield yourself, then only emergency or essential repairs should go ahead. Ensure you are taking take additional safety measures – for instance, by avoiding face-to-face contact or by staying in another room.
- Go digital. Checkatrade has introduced a video calling option on its website and is encouraging trade members to accept video calls through WhatsApp in order to carry out quotes.
- Take sensible precautions when work is carried out – Clean surfaces around the working area and in ‘high traffic’ areas such as door handles with disinfectant before, during and after work is carried out. It is also advised to keep internal doors open to minimise touching of door handles and make sure any shared facilities, like toilets or kitchens, are thoroughly cleaned after each shift. Where possible, keep children or pets in other rooms while work is carried out.
- Be mindful of your space– If work is taking place in an area you use frequently, such as the stairs or kitchen, consider ways to avoid using that space when work takes place. Try to avoid too much face-to-face contact with those working in your home. You can also ask your tradesperson to bring their own mug, kettle or food to help keep contact to a minimum.
- Keep in contact – We recommend that you keep in contact with suppliers for assurances that your deliveries will arrive as planned. As always, it’s sensible to wait for materials to arrive before commencing a project.
