Should you be using tradesmen during the coronavirus pandemic?

If you’re wondering if you should be using tradesmen during the current coronavirus pandemic, we’ve put together some vital considerations to help you assess the level of urgency and associated risks.

Using tradesmen such as electricians, plumbers or handymen is no problem under usual circumstances, but since the lockdown measures introduced to help minimise the spread of coronavirus, nothing is quite ‘business as usual’.

With government guidelines asking people to prevent unnecessary contact with people outside of their household – among other social restrictions – it’s clear that only genuinely essential work should really be undertaken at this time.

Essential and non-essential tradesmen services

Because there’s a risk of contracting the virus with any kind of social contact, the key consideration before using a tradesman in your home or business is whether or not the work is urgently essential, or whether it’s something that can viably wait.

For example, if you’ve recently moved and had plans for a lighting upgrade in your kitchen, this isn’t essential – it’s cosmetic. However, if you’re mid-renovation project and need services connecting to make your property habitable e.g. a functioning bathroom or kitchen, then this could reasonably be classed as essential.

Any issues that could cause a potential risk to health and safety, or anything that prevents you from living in reasonable conditions, could also be deemed as urgent work.

Things to ask your tradesmen before booking in urgent work

If you think your work is urgent and you need to get a tradesman in, there are a few things you should ask before you book any physical appointment:

1.  Do they have any symptoms of coronavirus? Even if they report just one very mild symptom, do not go ahead with your appointment.
2.  Can you troubleshoot my problem over the phone/video call to assess the problem and your need to visit the property/premises?
3.  What measures do you have in place to help minimise risk to all parties during your visit?

Tradesmen appointments made before coronavirus

If you already had work booked in prior to the lockdown, you’ve probably already contacted or been contacted by your tradesperson to discuss the situation.

Where possible, it’s best to try and postpone the work until such a time that lockdown restrictions start to be relaxed. If you’ve signed a contract, paid a deposit and/or committed to timeframes, make sure you discuss any potential penalties and rescheduling factors so that everyone knows where they stand, and what the plan is once things start adjusting back to normal.

If the work is considered to be essential, make sure you ask questions one and three from the section above – and if you have any vulnerable or ‘shielded’ people in your household, ensure that the maximum protective measures are taken if you really can’t avoid the appointment going ahead.

Our emergency electrical services during coronavirus

Our NAPIT registered emergency electricians in Leeds are now available to carry out critical, essential electrical works locally, such as the repair of electrical faults and the provision of landlord EICR certificates.

Available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for genuine electrical emergencies, we promise that in order to protect you and our workers, we’ll adhere to the following safety measures while the coronavirus risk remains:

•  We will try to find the fault and offer advice over the phone or other electronic channels where possible to prevent unnecessary visits.
•  Full social distancing measures – our tradesmen will ask you to leave the room while any works are carried out, and will keep a strict 2+ meters away from all occupiers at all times.
•  We’ll wear PPE and use hand sanitiser.
•  We will (graciously) refuse any offers of drinks and food.
•  We will conduct CRITICAL electrical repairs and services only.

We ask in return that you do not request a visit from one of our emergency electricians if any member of your household is displaying any coronvirus symptoms at any level.

So if you’re not sure about using tradesmen while the coronavirus continues to be a threat to public health, please use this information as a guide – and if you require any emergency electrical work in the Leeds area at this time, please call us on 0113 257 2678 and one of our electricians will be happy to see how they can help.