Message to all our valued installers
The safety and wellbeing of our customers and colleagues is always our number one priority, even more so now with the ever-changing progression of the Coronavirus outbreak. In response to the latest guidance and advice from the World Health Organisation and the UK and devolved Governments, we will be taking important safety precautions in our day-to-day operations in order to protect the wellbeing of our customers and our colleagues.
We know that people’s day-to-day lives have been disrupted over the last 18 months, with varying lockdown measures seen across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. We understand that whilst the Government have now lifted most of the restrictions, many installers and customers may still be apprehensive.
For us, it is very important to continue to endeavour to provide the service and customer care we are known for, adapting to the situation where we can keep you comfortable this season.
Latest Government guidance for customers
Latest Government guidance for customers based in England
Most legal restrictions have now been lifted at Step 4 of the roadmap out of lockdown, as of 19th July, and many people have been vaccinated. However, it is still possible to catch and spread COVID-19, and we are still in the third wave of this pandemic in the UK.
As restrictions lift, it is important that personal judgement and risk management is adhered to – we can all play our part here in ensuring ourselves, and those around us, stay as safe as possible. Every action that we can take to reduce the spread of COVID-19 will keep you safer in the immediacy, and help to reduce any further resurgence of the virus in the months ahead.
As of 19th July, several legal restrictions were lifted, which mean that specifically for the purposes of home maintenance works:
- You do not need to stay 2 metres apart from people you do not live with. There are also no limits on the number of people you can meet. However, we strongly advise that you limit close contact with those you do not live with, such as installers working in your home, with distance measures in place. Ideally, you are still in a separate area to visiting installers.
- The requirement to wear face coverings in law has been lifted. However, the Government expects and Worcester Bosch request that people wear face coverings in public spaces, or when you meet people outside of your household.
- You should meet outdoors where possible and let fresh air into homes or other enclosed spaces.
Essential businesses have remained open during this pandemic. Home visit by contractors are allowed under the current guidelines, including for safety checks, repairs, maintenance and installations.
All remaining closed business are now able to re-open, including entertainment and leisure venues, with a gradual return from home working expected over the summer.
Worcester Bosch has a legal duty to manage risks to those affected by our business. Prior to home visits, installers will carry out a health and safety risk assessment, including the risk of COVID-19, and take reasonable steps to mitigate any risks identified. The Government’s Working Safely guidance, combined with our own Safe In Your Home Installer Commitment, ensures that hygiene measures are a top priority. These include:
- Cleaning surfaces that people touch regularly
- Identifying poorly-ventilated areas in the home and taking steps to improve air flow
- Ensuring that any installers who are unwell do not attend the workplace or venue
- Communicating to customers the measures put in place
Full details can be found here.
Latest Government guidance for customers based in Scotland
There are 5 COVID-19 Protection Levels (0-4). The rules you have to follow depend on the level for your council area. All of Scotland is at Level 0, as of July 19th.
All major COVID-19 restrictions will be lifted on 9th August if the necessary conditions on vaccination and harm reduction continue.
Home visit by contractors are allowed under the new guidelines, including for essential works such as safety checks, repairs, maintenance and installations, and non-essential works.
You do not need to physically distance from family and friends in a private home or outdoors. However, as part of Worcester Bosch’s own guidelines, we would highly recommend that you adhere to social distancing measures during home visits, to a minimum of 2m. We would also request that face coverings still be worn.
We, and Government guidelines, also recommend that you should maintain hand and cough hygiene, avoid touching shared surfaces with your hands, keep rooms well ventilated, and wash your hands when eating, arriving, or leaving homes.
Full details can be found here.
Latest Government guidance for customers based in Wales
All of Wales is at alert level 4.
Since 27th March, stay local restrictions were lifted, and guidelines around outdoor activities were relaxed. Six people from two households can meet outdoors, socially distanced. Full details can be found here.
Work carried out in people’s homes, for example by tradespeople, can occur if it is reasonably necessary and there is no reasonably practicable alternative to it. The work must be managed in a safe way and both the worker and household members are well and have no symptoms of coronavirus.
People working in someone else’s home must take all reasonable measures to ensure to mitigate the risk of coronavirus spreading when working in other people’s households. However, no work should be carried out in any household where someone is isolating, unless it is to repair a fault which poses a direct risk to people’s safety.
Full details can be found here.
Latest Government guidance for customers based in Northern Ireland
Over recent weeks (as of July 19th), COVID-19 restrictions have been eased.
Social distancing is one of a number of measures that can help to reduce the spread of COVID-19. Other mitigations include good ventilation, the use of protective screens and face coverings, as well as increased cleaning and handwashing.
The closer you are to others, the higher the risk. The risk of transmission is therefore higher at one metre compared to two metres. The level of risk also increases if there are no mitigations in place. The highest risk is in an indoor, crowded, poorly-ventilated space for a long period of time.
We, and Government guidelines, therefore recommend that you should maintain hand and cough hygiene, avoid touching shared surfaces with your hands, keep rooms well ventilated, and wash your hands when eating, arriving, or leaving homes.
The use of face coverings is mandatory on public transport, and as of 24th May it is still mandatory to wear a face covering when inside public areas. If you are in any doubt about whether you are required to wear a face covering, Government guidelines advise to wear one. Remember, maintaining social distancing depends not just on your behaviour, but also on the behaviour of other people in the shared space.
Home visit by contractors are allowed under the current guidelines, including for safety checks, repairs, maintenance and installations.
Full details can be found here.
Latest Government guidance for customers based in Republic of Ireland
The Government announced a series of restriction easing phases from 12th April, as society slowly reopens. This included a full reopening of construction activities, a phased return of non-essential retail, and a re-opening of leisure venues and museums, galleries, and libraries.
Essential businesses have remained open during this pandemic and travel outside of home is allowed for essential work as of 30th March 2021. Home visit by contractors are allowed under these measures.
We, and Government guidelines, recommend that you should maintain hand and cough hygiene, avoid touching shared surfaces with your hands, keep rooms well ventilated, and wash your hands when eating, arriving, or leaving homes.
Our wider policy
If you are currently self-isolating, or suspect that you might be suffering from Coronavirus, we ask that as a precaution you inform us when booking an engineer visit so that we can plan the most suitable approach. Whilst the situation develops rapidly each appointment involving a customer who is self-isolating, will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.
In order to ensure we get to as many customers as possible during this period, we’re looking at our demand and capacity and prioritising as you would expect us to.
It is important that homeowners who require work to be carried out within their property should still try and maintain distance between themselves and the tradespeople (but ideally in a completely different room), wear a face covering, and follow good hand and respiratory hygiene. Please ensure you are following government guidelines around social distancing, as well as reading our Safe in Your Home Installer Commitment and the Government’s Working Safely guidance, for further information.
We have implemented numerous changes to the way we approach our work, but in particular when working in people’s homes, you will see that our own Engineers undertake the following:
- Engineers have been instructed that they must self-isolate if they display any symptoms
- We will be requesting customers to clear any working areas
- No handshakes on arrival
- Currently, keeping suitable distance between ourselves is recognised as best practice, we trust our customers will support our engineers and maintain a safe distance whilst they are at the property, ideally in a different room
- Our engineers all carry personal protective equipment that can safeguard the working environment
- We are providing our engineers with regular updates and coaching on hygiene and how to deal with their work in these situations
Our national network of Technical Area Sales Managers are available if you have any questions or need advice on the above. To find your local Technical Area Sales Manager please click here.
All the above information is correct as of 21.07. Please visit the Government website for the latest updates and information: https://www.gov.uk/coronavirus
