Supporting the construction industry is paramount

During the daily Downing Street coronavirus briefing, Health Secretary, Matt Hancock echoed the government’s stance that construction sites can keep working if workers are able to stick to social distancing rules.

He said: “The judgment we have made is that in work, in many instances, the 2m rule can be applied. Where possible, people should work from home and employers have a duty to ensure that people are more than 2m apart.”

According to government guidelines, all documented at the NFB website, work carried out in people’s homes, for example by tradespeople carrying out repairs and maintenance, can continue, provided that the tradesperson is well and has no symptoms.

No work should be carried out in any household which is isolating or where an individual is being shielded, unless it is to remedy a direct risk to the safety of the household, such as emergency plumbing or repairs, and where the tradesperson is willing to do so.

No work should be carried out by a tradesperson who has coronavirus symptoms, however mild.

Richard Beresford “We will continue to support our members the best we can. We have written up some detailed guidance for our members, to help them apply social distancing and to make sure that a high standard of health and safety is kept at their sites.

He continued “Many NFB members have self-employed supply chains they feel responsible for and this has been a very trying time as there is little for them to fall back on. We are now looking to the government to provide more support for self-employed people and help them through this difficult period.”

The NFB’s ‘COVID-19 guidance for construction companies and workers’ is available, here.

National Federation of Builders

The National Federation of Builders is a United Kingdom trade association representing the interests of small and medium-sized building contractors in England and Wales.

You May Also Enjoy

Estate Agent Talk

Hipster hotspots drive market activity south of the river

The latest research from leading London lettings and estate agent, Benham and Reeves, has revealed that while more homes have sold north of the River Thames over the last 12 months, it’s south of the river that is seeing more homes sold on average per borough, driven by the popularity of hipster hotspots such as…
Read More
Estate Agent Talk

Yarmouth named the UK’s most prestigious marina

The latest research from eXp UK has found that living close to some of the nation’s most idyllic marinas comes at a significant cost, with Yarmouth Harbour topping the list for the highest house price premium in the country at 61.3% eXp UK analysed the housing markets surrounding 21 of the UK’s most picturesque marinas…
Read More
LIVING BY THE SEASIDE 2022
Breaking News

Whitby crowned most exclusive coastal location

The latest research from Yopa has revealed that while Brighton in the South East is home to the highest monthly coastal mortgage cost, it’s Whitby in North Yorkshire that commands the highest premium when compared to the wider region, with the average monthly mortgage sitting payment 33.7% higher than the Yorkshire and the Humber average.…
Read More
Breaking News

ONS report on private rental affordability

Private renters on a median household income could expect to spend 36.3% of their income on an average-priced rented home in England, compared with 25.9% in Wales and 25.3% in Northen Ireland in 2024. Private rental affordability has fluctuated since 2016 but remained above the 30% affordability threshold in England, while it moved below the…
Read More
Breaking News

End of August Will See an 84% Increase in UK House Moves

The last week of August is always a busy time for moving, with an average of 3.5% of all yearly moves taking place in that week, being the busiest week for moving in 2023 and the second busiest week for moving in 2024. 2025 is expected to be no different and should see a larger…
Read More
Damaged timber from Dry Rot
Breaking News

Surveying capacity is being outpaced by compliance demand

The surveying industry has a problem: the shrinking capacity of surveyors is coming face to face with an increased compliance demand. Expert insight from Property Inspect suggests that increasing the workforce alone is not enough to fix the problem. The profession must also be equipped with Golden Thread compliant evidence packs that accelerate building safety…
Read More