Timberwise chief says early preparation is the key to protecting residents, vulnerable people and the public during specialist treatments
Contractors carrying out work in occupied homes should be treating safety as part of the planning process, not something to address once they arrive on site, according to one of the UK’s leading property care specialists. George Edwards, Managing Director of Timberwise, believes the industry needs to improve how it prepares for projects in lived-in properties, arguing that better planning reduces risks for occupants, neighbours and technicians alike.
Edwards says many companies fail to recognise how different occupied properties are from conventional construction sites. While building sites are controlled environments with trained personnel, homes and workplaces continue to operate as normal, often with residents, employees or visitors who have little awareness of the work taking place around them.
“The mistake most contractors make is thinking about safety once they are already inside,” said Edwards. “By then, you are already behind. In occupied properties, we are working around people’s lives, which means the planning has to happen before anything comes off the van.”
He believes every project should begin with a detailed assessment of how the work will be carried out. This includes planning access routes, limiting dust and debris, making sure ladders and equipment are secured after each working day, and clearly explaining the process to customers before any drilling or treatment begins.
“The client should know before drilling starts, not when it does,” he said. “Whoever is living in that property should not be worse off for the fact that we were there.”
Recognising when extra precautions are needed
Edwards says contractors should be prepared to change their approach the moment they discover a vulnerable person is living at the property.
“The first time you walk into a property and realise there is someone vulnerable living there, it changes how you think about everything,” he said. “It might be an elderly resident who has not mentioned it, a child you did not expect to be home, someone with a health condition that was not on the survey notes. Whatever it is, the standard approach may not be enough, and you have to be honest with yourself about that quickly.”
He adds that pets should also be considered when planning work, as they can easily enter treatment areas or become distressed by ongoing activity. Restricting access during treatments helps protect both animals and technicians.
Looking beyond the property boundary
Edwards believes a contractor’s duty of care should extend further than the customer alone. Anyone who could be affected by the work, including neighbours and pedestrians, deserves the same level of consideration.
“Most people do not think about the person walking past on the pavement outside,” he said. “They are not the client, they have not asked for anything, and they have no idea what is happening inside that property. But if a technician is moving chemicals between a van and a front door, or debris has been left on a communal floor, that person is just as exposed to the risk as anyone inside.”
“The client trusted us to solve a problem in their home. The person on the pavement outside did not get a say in any of it. We owe them the same standard.”
Timberwise is one of the UK’s largest family-run property care companies, providing specialist damp proofing, timber treatment and structural waterproofing services nationwide. The company has also published guidance on maintaining high safety standards when working in occupied properties.
