It’s official. The government has confirmed that safety checks and sanitation are vital in blocks of flats during the COVID-19 outbreak. We take a look at how the industry is responding to the crisis
Robert Jenrick Secretary of State at the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) gave a welcome boost on 25 March to maintenance contractors who have been struggling to know whether or not they should be entering residential blocks.
The Minister told the BBC that the maintenance of buildings for fire safety and sanitation reasons and for cladding remediation works should continue, provided that contractors follow Public Health England’s guidance to stay at least two metres from other people.
As this issue of Flat Living goes to press, the world is changing daily in response to the continuing COVID-19 pandemic. However, for residential blocks, maintenance contractors are the fourth emergency service. Leaks, lifts not working and failed lighting are all hazards of communal living that need urgent attention to protect the wellbeing of residents and safeguard their health and safety.
So how are maintenance contractors responding to the crisis? Companies are working hard to maintain normal service wherever possible to ensure blocks are compliant and residents are safe. To try and reassure worried residents, guidance issued by industry bodies to contractors before carrying out any work in residential property is broadly as follows:
- When discussing an appointment with your customer/s, ask if they or any occupants are self-isolating, displaying any symptoms of COVID19, and/or have received a positive diagnosis.
- If a number of residents are self-isolating then the nature of the work, and also the vulnerability of the leaseholders must be taken into account. If the contractor feels able to go ahead with the job, additional precautions such as disposable overalls, disposable gloves, eye protection, and a suitable face mask may be needed in addition to high levels of hygiene.
Jamie Willsdon, Managing Director of facilities specialists the Future Group, confirms that the lighting, heating, security, and fire and life safety divisions of the company, “have planned, tested and confirmed that we can continue to operate until such time as we are restricted from doing so. Our lives may have to pause to help limit the spread of this virus, but buildings will still require attention and maintenance, especially with emergency issues, such as leaks, electrical faults, heating issues and other potential breakdowns which will need rectifying to limit further risk to life and property i.e. fire protection and security measures”.
To make this possible, the company has brought in newly improved hygiene measures. These include:
- Not shaking hands and keeping a 2m distance away from block managers or residents while attending call-outs
- Requesting that residents stay away from the work area and opening windows, keeping the area well ventilated if possible
- Engineers to sanitise their hands before and after the job has been done and/or to wear protective clothing and gloves
Jamie confirms that “If any of our operative staff show any symptoms of COVID-19 they will NOT attend work and will not return to service until they have fully recovered as per Government guidelines”.
The company is also asking block managers to prepare for engineers visiting their buildings by providing hand washing facilities (wherever possible) and ensuring plant rooms and other workspaces are clean and accessible to prevent engineers touching more hard surfaces, door handles etc than necessary.
Jamie’s fellow director Bradley Parker, who heads up Future Fire Systems, adds that in the next few weeks, property managers may find their regular contractor is not available. “If the usual maintenance contractors are unable to attend a call-out, the Yellow Pages or Checkatrade will provide a level of support from local tradesmen” he says. The downside of using a different contractor is that they may not be able to rectify a particular problem because parts and materials may be required, with suppliers also potentially affected. “But at least a make-safe scenario could be possible,” he says.
