At Marshall Recruitment, we support many businesses in securing onsite talent for construction and engineering projects across the Cambridgeshire and Bedfordshire areas. 

Both construction and engineering projects are still taking place under the current coronavirus pandemic, as the UK government presses on with housing development and essential re-development works. 

As onsite work such as surveying, construction, and mechanical and electrical engineering is all still required, we’ve listed the top ways in which you can remain safe while continuing your role during the current COVID pandemic. 

Carry Your Own PPE 

While many of the businesses we support with recruitment have heavily invested in their own PPE (personal protective equipment), we highly recommend that you also carry your own PPE just in case any items are lost on-site, or become contaminated or broken. 

By carrying your own PPE; including masks, visors or gloves; you can ensure that you are fully equipped to carry out your tasks while remaining safe and contact-free.

PPE should be provided to you by your employer or contractor when you arrive on-site, however, in the case of COVID, it is always best to be extra prepared with your own PPE. 

Plan Your Day 

In order to reduce the risk of catching the COVID-19 virus, it’s highly recommended that all onsite workers, including those in construction or engineering roles, map out their day to consider potential risk points. 

For example, think about how you are planning to travel to the site, and what the project is so that you can understand how to protect yourself while travelling to and from the site, and how to maintain social distancing when following out your task. 

If using public transport to travel to the site then think about the hand sanitiser and mask you may need to carry with you to reduce your risk. 

Know Your Tier 

As the UK is now in a tiered system to combat the spread of coronavirus, you may travel from one tier into another in order to work on-site. 

If the site you’re working on is in another tier to where you live, then it is highly advised that you understand how this may alter your work and your contact with others. 

Understand the rules in each tier system, and check which one you are working in to ensure you are reducing risk for both yourself and any of your colleagues. 

Maintain Social Distancing 

Social distancing remains in place across the UK; therefore, as an onsite worker, you should attempt to do your best to follow these guidelines. This also includes maintaining a social distance when arriving and leaving the site. 

Workers on site will now be limited to maintain social distancing. 

Remember that social distancing applies to all parts of site work, not just the place where you are carrying out a particular task or project. 

Social distancing must continue during breaks, and when exiting or entering a site. These are often the most challenging areas to maintain social distancing, so keep this in mind and try to be conscious when you are on site of where you are and what you are doing. 

Wash Hands Regularly 

Although most workers in the construction or electrical industry wear gloves to carry out tasks, it is best advised that hand washing is conducted regularly during breaks and when the gloves are removed, to reduce any possible contagion. 

When you join a site, you should be given an update about where you can find PPE, a handwashing station, and where hand sanitiser can be used. 

Also be aware if you have been sharing tools with another colleague. If this occurs, wash and sanitise your hands before using it, and wash and sanitise your hands after use. 

Keep it Short 

Where possible keeping any activities or tasks short on site will help to further limit any potential risk. 

If you do need to work closely with others on site, work back-to-back or side-to-side, rather than face-to-face. This has been advised by the UK government COVID-19 guidelines for the construction industry. 

On some sites, you may find that areas have been created into zones to help control how many people are in there and to reduce the mixing of people. When you arrive onsite, you may be given an area that is dedicated to your task until the next area has been cleared. 

Get Tested 

If you begin to show any possible COVID-19 symptoms such as a persistent cough, or the loss of taste or smell, you must make your site manager aware and immediately come away from the site and self-isolate. 

Update your line manager about anyone you may have been in contact with so that they can identify these people and let them know immediately. 

As a precaution, some construction and engineering workers are taking regular tests to ensure that when joining a new site, they are cleared of carrying COVID-19. 

Risk Assessments

At Marshalls Recruitment, we only send people to safe and trusted environments. We ensure that all businesses and construction companies have completed a successful risk assessment for the site, which now also includes assessing the risk of COVID-19. 

If you are concerned about your safety, we can provide you with more details about the risk-assessment and what is required of you when working onsite.