The COVID-19 pandemic has changed a lot of how we live our lives. While stay-at-home orders are easing in some places, experts still recommend that people take precautions in their day-to-day activities. Inviting strangers or people outside your "bubble" into your home to do electrical work raises the question of whether it's safe to do so. The good news is it can be done safely when you hire the right professional. Here's how.
What Precautions Should an Electrician Take During the COVID-19 Pandemic
As states and local governments begin to relax lockdown restrictions, electricians and other contractors are faced with some new challenges. They must navigate sometimes conflicting safety requirements imposed by different authorities and keep abreast of the latest recommended measures to keep employees and customers safe.
Some are mandated and others are voluntary, but there are a few measures some electricians are taking to ensure employee safety. Daily temperature taking and employee questionnaires that ask about symptoms prior to entering a workplace are being done. Other steps include:
- Supplying personal protective equipment (PPE) like gloves and masks to workers based on where they fall in OSHA's risk categories.
- Using enhanced cleaning procedures to disinfect surfaces.
- Training employees on social distancing procedures and staggering work schedules if necessary.
OSHA recommends that electrical contractors stay current with COVID-19 guidelines and when in doubt err on the side of caution and common sense.
How to Talk About COVID-19 Safety with Your Electrician
Most professional electricians have already put increased safety measures in place. Before allowing them to come into your home, you should feel comfortable asking them what they're doing to keep you and your family safe.
- What precautions are they taking?
- How are they assessing their technicians' health?
- Has anyone in their office or on their crew tested positive or experienced flu-like symptoms in the past two weeks?
- What sanitation measures are they employing?
- Do they offer contactless payment?
At David Gray Electrical Services, we're taking our COVID-19 precautions very seriously. In addition to our long-standing safety procedures we're:
- Equipping all our trucks with hand soap and water. Our technicians are required to thoroughly wash their hands before entering any residence or office.
- Requiring technicians to maintain social distancing while on your premise.
- Digitally booking, tracking, and approving jobs so home and business owners don't have to physically sign orders.
- Enforcing a trained illness policy that mandates technicians report any illness and not work if ill.
Learn About License and Insurance for Electricians
It's always important to know if the electrician you're hiring is licensed and insured, but it's particularly crucial now. If work is performed in your home or office by an unlicensed or uninsured contractor and the job is done incorrectly, you'll need to bring in another technician to undo the damage and get the work done right. This increases everyone's exposure to the virus.
Choose Only the Best
We understand you might have electrical issues that need to be taken care of right away. To protect you, we're taking our safety precautions seriously and doing everything possible to ensure the continued health of our employees and customers. To learn more or to ask us additional questions about our COVID-19 safety policies, contact David Gray Electrical Services online today or call us at (904) 605-8190.