Visiting and working on site during lockdown

Update 12th January.  New lockdown measure do not affect the previous advice given and listed below. The Rt Hon Kwasi Kwarteng MP Secretary of State for Business, Energy & lndustrial Strategy has published an open letter to the construction industry.  This addresses the question of if the industry should continue. We will update this page should there be any further announcements affecting the article below.

The government recently announced a second national lockdown for England that includes multiple restrictions on the behaviour of individuals and businesses. The government’s official advice on working is:

To help contain the virus, everyone who can work effectively from home must do so. Where people cannot do so (for instance people who work in critical national infrastructure, construction or manufacturing) they should continue to travel to work/attend their workplace. This is essential to keeping the country operating and supporting vital sectors and employers.

In addition, the Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick has stated:

Housing market update ahead of Thursday’s measures:

• Renters & homeowners will be able to move
• Removal firms and estate agents can operate
• Construction sites can and should continue
• Tradespeople will be able to enter homes.

All must follow the Covid safety guidance.

Based on this guidance, the BIID is recommending that where necessary and where they feel comfortable doing so interior designers should continue to visit their project sites during lockdown, as long as they follow the government guidance on working safely during coronavirus, including:

• Ensure you and anyone else on site wears a mask
• Wash your hands upon arrival and when you leave
• Maintain social distancing while on site
• Cancel any site visits if anyone on site has coronavirus or is self-isolating
• Carry out a risk assessment before each site visit listing what potential risks may arise and what reasonable precautions you can put in place.

Before making any final decision on this we would recommend all designers read the government advice on the new lockdown restrictions for themselves.

We advise against visiting homes with a shielding / vulnerable individual.