How to hire tradies during covid-19

If you are one of many customers who had already planned some home renovations or require an unexpected job to be completed, like repairing a lighting fixture, it’s important that you keep up to date with COVID-19 restrictions and how to reduce the chances of transmission while a qualified tradesperson completes work in your home. 

Here are some of the best ways to protect yourself and your tradie from exposure to COVID-19 during the job:

Article Summary

• Preventing COVID-19 Spread Before a Tradie Arrives
• Minimising Coronavirus Transmission During the Job
• Reducing the Risks of COVID-19 After the Job

Preventing COVID-19 Spread Before a Tradie Arrives

The first step to minimising your own and your family’s risk of exposure to COVID-19 is to touch base with your tradie before they visit your home to complete the job, whether you’ve hired an electrician, plumber, handyman, or anything in between.

Give them a call or send them a message, politely explaining that to help stop the spread of Coronavirus, you’d just like to check in to make sure they’re currently feeling well and have no symptoms of COVID-19, including:

• Fever
• Coughing or sneezing
• Difficulty breathing, which may develop into pneumonia
• Sore throat
• Fatigue

Although a person can still carry the virus before symptoms appear, preventing those that are feeling unwell will still help to reduce the chances of coming into contact with someone exposed to COVID-19. This is especially important if there are high-risk individuals in your home, including:

• Elderly people
• Those with weak immune systems
• People with chronic medical conditions
• People with diabetes
• Infants and babies
• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, who face higher rates of chronic illness

Taking every precaution is better than taking none, and this also works both ways! If your family or housemates in your home also feel unwell or are suffering from the above symptoms, you should let your tradie know as soon as possible before the day of the job. 

In these cases, it’s best to reschedule the work until after your household or your tradie have had time to recover.

Minimising Coronavirus Transmission During the Job

When you hire a local, qualified tradie to complete your job, there are a few things to keep in mind while they’re on site. On arrival, greet your tradie at the door, but make sure you do so at a minimum 1.5 metre distance, as recommended by the government’s social distancing guidelines.

Instead of a handshake, opt for a friendly wave instead. This will help reduce the chances of COVID-19 transmission, which occurs from:

• Close contact with a person confirmed to have COVID-19
• Exposure to droplets from an infected person coughing or sneezing
• Contact with objects or surfaces that droplets have landed on, then touching your mouth, nose or eyes

Before your tradesperson begins their work, offer them the opportunity to wash their hands, as well as having access to an alcohol-based hand sanitiser to use during the job. 

While they’re in your home, make sure it is well-ventilated by opening as many doors and windows as possible. Continue practising good hygiene, which includes covering coughs and sneezes with your inner elbow or tissue (which should be thrown in the bin immediately). To really maximise social distance, you may even wish to spend some time outside while the job is being completed - a good excuse to catch up on some gardening, lawnmowing or landscaping!

Reducing the Risks of COVID-19 After the Job

When your tradie has completed the job, choose an electronic payment option to reduce the handling of cash.

Again, offer your tradesperson the chance to wash their hands or hand rub with a sanitiser. If your tradie hasn’t already done so, clean and disinfect all surfaces after the job is done.

Despite the uncertainty surrounding the current situation, Service.com.au is committed to keeping both our customers and our tradies safe at all times. For current updates in Australia on Coronavirus, visit the Australian Government website.

If you would like to compare quotes or need any help hiring a local tradie during this time, you can contact our team  Monday to Friday from 9:00 am - 5:00 pm