[Closed] Lock Down Do's and Don'ts

Yes. He's working, at a type of work that hasn't been told to close down, and can't do it from home. Under the current rules that's allowed.

Only if it’s absolutely necessary - it’s unclear who makes that decision though.

Only if it’s absolutely necessary – it’s unclear who makes that decision though.

that's not correct. If its absolutely necessary to travel in order to do your work, whatever your work is, you may do so. A plasterer is unlikely to be able to plaster frank's ceiling from the comfort of his own sofa, so he meets that criteria

As above, absolutely fine (at the moment!!)

Could be a Bit of a lone worker issue. Should he fall off his ladder and be incapacitated. Give him a call every now and then?
I am not a H&s expert, btw. I would let him crack on if he is up for it.

So, I won't bore you with the legal definition of necessary, it's subjective, but I vote no. In what way does your house being done up sustain the community interest? Get inside and stay inside.

Plasterer can’t plaster op’s walls from home can he? No provision for self employed at the moment, let the guy earn if he can without risking others. Getting plaster may be the difficulty though.

And this is where unclear government guidance falls down. It's not about what is necessary to you, but what is necessary for everyone. Nhs workers, yes. Food and fuel supply, yes. Plastering your home, no.

Hels, Not according to the expert on the news just a moment ago..

I disagree. What extra transmission is he likely to cause by travelling alone to an empty house, doing his job, travelling back home again?

Keeps a man employed instead of claiming on the benefits / self-employed loan thing (whatever's devised).

If it was an occupied house, or he had to get there on the bus that would be different but he doesn't.

People can go to work if they cannot do their work at home, the health secretary has said, amid confusion over the new coronavirus restrictions.

Mr Hancock later said those who cannot work from home should go to work "to keep the country running"

Just because some people have no common sense doesn't mean everyone has to give it up.

Yes as he’s not working within 2m of someone and plastering over in the Internet is quite tricky.

That is correct Jonv.

And with all these accumulated selfish decisions, Rome falls.

Only the note of construction, or in a home sense diy now we all have time to do those projects, might it be a good idea not to use power tools, especially the powered cutting variety.

Managed to contact the cutter on my makita trimmer. Luckily it was slowing down and the cutter a straight 6mm and i got 16 small parallel cuts instead of it carving off half the finger had it been running powered. I knew i was seriously lucky.
So maybe best stick to safer diy folks 🙂

help for self employed
https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/bills/cbill/58-01/0122/amend/coronavirus_daily_cwh_0320rev.14-18.html?fbclid=IwAR1JmdjMDrnOOfq3xOFi1cAozn8iiHG9ZqvM2VYSfe7s11_ZCkdU34BpvBk

That amendment was voted down by the govt.

Im being generous and hoping that it was because they have their own package to announce that renders the amendment superfluous.

Selfish bloody plasterer, trying to feed his kids and pay his debts.

There's a fella being interviewed on R4 right now. The advice is:

- if you can work from home you should, and you must make every effort to do that
- if you cannot work from home, you can go to work (unless you work in business that have been shut)
- at work, the 2m distance thing must be followed at the work site (this is the employer's responsibility under HSE obligations)
- if the 2m distance thing is impossible at the work site, the site cannot be operated

So I think your plasterer can work.

I'll add my own question actually:

Should I be ordering non-food/medicine items online for delivery?

We're going to be at home for a while, there's things we can be doing around the house/garden but we'll need stuff to do it with. Should I be ordering this stuff online for delivery

Pros
- Gives some business to companies that will be struggling
- I get the stuff I need

Cons
- Should those businesses be working anyway?
- Am I diverting delivery services from delivering essential stuff?

And with all these accumulated selfish decisions, Rome falls.

He is following the government guidelines. He is not on contact with anyone. As the rules currently stand he is clearly within the rules.

I’ll add my own question actually:

Should I be ordering non-food/medicine items online for delivery?

We’re going to be at home for a while, there’s things we can be doing around the house/garden but we’ll need stuff to do it with. Should I be ordering this stuff online for delivery

Pros
– Gives some business to companies that will be struggling
– I get the stuff I need

Cons
– Should those businesses be working anyway?
– Am I diverting delivery services from delivering essential stuff?

I'm in the same position. I think I'm going to crack on and get stuff ordered. The government has allowed online retailers to carry on for now. And it keeps a little money moving about too.

Physical shops have shut.

Mail order, not so much.

Much sanity may be maintained by having projects to occupy the mind and your time.

I would say, crack on.

The government guidelines have us all searching for the loop hole around lock down that means they can continue as normal as possible.
It's given me a dilemma as I have a self-employed chippy all ready to finish the build in our bedroom but i cancelled it as we're all supposed to be on lock down, now all i hear is that it's fine for him to work as he can't work from home.
After all this I want to be able to say I was part of the solution not contributing to the problem but the ambiguity and lack of support for the self-employed is making it a bit of a mockery.

I think the difference with your chippy is that he'd be coming into your home while you're there, which you can't do as you and he are not supposed to make contact with anyone. The plasterer case above was in an empty house.

I’m in the same boat as you.
Almost finished the house we are renovating,
Chippy in today, plumber tomorrow and sparky on Friday.
All want to work, house is empty, only one person in house at a time.
All sensible blokes, wear gloves etc when working.
If any of them phone to say they can’t come in , then we will have to wait until they can.
Would be nice to get up there , what with the kids home , (it a bigger house with a garden )
How many of the of the people saying not to go to work are PAYE, WFH with full pay etc ?

The ambiguity is the Government said "don't travel to work unless it's essential" without making clear whether essential referred to the travel or the work. I believe they meant travel.

They are trying to keep as many people working as possible, provided that doesn't mean being close to others, as the damage to the economy will indirectly kill people (how many is a difficult question). They have closed businesses which encourage people to cluster, otherwise they want businesses to continue. So plastering in an empty house is OK.

It's further confused by crowding on public transport - my interpretation is that if travelling to work means being crowded with others, don't do it - but they haven't said that, so people are rightly concerned that they won't get substitute pay (also a problem for self employed).

A14 works and building of a new town near me seem to be continuing, so I'm not seeing how a sole plasterer is any different to that really.

He's working alone, he's not endangering anyone, I really can't see why it'd be a problem?