Tradesmen! If you’re not building a new house somewhere, you’re probably updating a complex or fixing household appliances, and doing all the little things in between. And when you‘re working on your own there isn’t much support or back up if anything goes wrong! So here’s a little guidance to help you carry out your work safely without accident or injury, so you can continue to trade profitably.
Protecting yourself
Here’s what to do:
- Carry out an initial assessment - Every job is different so check for hazards
- Make sure you have all the right equipment for a job and that it is are all in working order. A workman never blames his tools!
- Keep up to date with all the latest techniques of carrying out jobs - you never know, doing something new and a little different could be the safety net you need for a dangerous job
- Wear your PPE - it’s there to protect you. Better to be safe than sorry!
Protecting your customer
As well as keeping yourself at bay from risk, you also have to think of your customers. So again, check for any risks before starting a job. It’s also important to keep the customer away from the work area to reduce accidents. Old and vulnerable people such as those who are disabled or children may not understand fully what you are doing or what is going on. Children being curious may try and look at/play with your tools and pets may walk within your work area. Be sure to prepare for any of these situations and keep them safe.
Protecting your business
- Claims - Public liability cover is needed in case any claims are alleged against you for damage to a customer’s property.
- Income - Personal accident cover will help replace some lost income if you can no longer work due to an accident on site. This will help tide you over until you can resume work again
- Motor - Your van needs to be insured by law but as an extra you will need to know whether valuables inside your vehicle are also covered
- Reputation is everything when it comes to getting work. If a bad situation is left unsolved it could potentially harm the amount of work you get in future
- When working on any type of job you must be fully trained and know what you’re doing in any given situation. This will ensure all risk is minimised and the job is done properly
- If you have somebody else working for you, you may need employer’s liability cover to insure against injury or disease to the employees
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