Following the government’s announcement last night, many people have been left with questions, one of the most popular questions we have been sent is from workers on construction sites.
The Prime Minister issued a number of exceptions where people would be able to leave their homes:
- Shopping for “basic necessities, as infrequently as possible”
- One form of exercise a day alone or with family members
- “Medical need, to provide care or to help a vulnerable person”
- Travel to or from work “where this is absolutely necessary”
I work in construction, can I still go to work?
In short, yes if you are working on a new build project. No if you are extending someones home or installing a new kitchen/bathroom.
Advice for the housing, construction & building maintenance industries:
🔹If you can work from home, do so.
🔹If you are working on site, you can continue to do so. But follow Public Health England guidance on social distancing.
🔹Outside of work, remember to #StayHomeSaveLives— Robert Jenrick (@RobertJenrick) March 23, 2020
Speaking this morning, cabinet office minister Michael Gove said all major construction work should go ahead – but jobs carried out at close quarters in someone’s home would not be appropriate.
He said: “It is the case, as Robert Jenrick pointed out (on Twitter), that construction on sites should continue. People should obviously exercise sensitivity and common sense and follow social distancing measures. But construction in the open air on those types of sites can continue.”
“I think it’s important that, when we have construction work that is going in a way that can be done safely, in the open air and on new sites, that does continue.
”It’s important that we make sure that construction and manufacturing can continue and that seems to me to be the safest way of ensuring that we can maintain appropriate social distancing rules in a way which ensures that people who cannot work from home continue to do so.”
