Health & Safety During Home Renovations

We understand there’s a natural level of curiosity and excitement about the works we’re undertaking for our clients, but health and safety during home renovations in clients’ homes is an area of genuine concern. Nicholas Hythe is committed to providing safe and healthy workplaces for all its employees, contractors, suppliers, customers, visitors, and members of the public, whether in any of our premises but especially when we’re undertaking the renovations agreed in their home.

Our commitment to health and safety is unwavering.

Our commitment to health and safety during home renovations is paramount to us. It means we will ensure that potential risks to the health and safety to our employees are identified and effectively managed, and that they have been trained to undertake their work safely.

While our contractors are responsible for their own day to day health and safety, you may be assured that we have conducted the necessary due diligence to ensure that they are experienced, fully competent, licensed (where required) and insured to carry out their work in a safe manner.

Our policy also requires us to ensure that everyone potentially affected by our work, including you, your family (including any children or disabled persons), and any visitors to your home, are kept safe by being aware of their responsibilities in helping us maintain safe and healthy workplaces for the benefit of all parties while work is being undertaken.

 The Risks

Some risks are obvious, but many may be less so to you. Depending on the work at the time, the risks that could affect you and others include:

1. Distractions, especially if tools or machinery are being used, can have serious consequences such as causing trapped fingers, cuts and bruising as well as more serious injuries.
2. Wood, plaster, and other dusts may be inhaled or ingested can cause respiratory illnesses resulting in long-term ill health issues including asthma, organ damage and cancer. Dust may also cause skin and eye irritation.
3. Noise. Even short-term exposure to loud noise, such as the use of electric saws and drills may cause temporary or even long-term damage to your hearing and especially to children’s.
4. Slips and trips on dusty or wet floors or tripping over trailing leads or on an unfinished floor can lead to fractures, cuts and bruising or knock people unconscious.
5. Flying debris ejected unexpectedly from machinery.
6. Arcing electricity, especially in dusty rooms, can kill or cause shocks and burns, cardiac arrest, hearing loss and blindness.
7. Falling cabinets or appliances as they’re being moved or located in position, even from a relatively low height can cause serious injury including fractures, cuts and bruises as well as having the potential to render somebody unconscious.
8. Moving heavy items. Musculoskeletal injuries caused by moving heavy items such as cabinets and appliances can cause significant pain or discomfort for several weeks. While bad enough if they’re suffered by our people, it would be worse if somebody in a client’s household was hurt as a result of trying to help.  Clients offering to help move items puts them and us at risk of injury. So, as grateful as we are for the offer, please don’t! Our guys have the equipment and know to ask for help from our team if they need it.
9. Falling from height. Our people may be working on stepladders or other means to undertake work at height and the simple action of just opening a door could knock them off.
10. Glass and tiles can shatter unexpectedly causing it to fly in all directions causing potentially serious cuts and severe loss of blood if an artery was to be hit

What we Ask of all Our Clients

1. Our main request would be to ask that everybody in the household to keep out of the work area as much as possible whilst work is ongoing. Not being in harms way is the best way to protect you and yours and us!
2. Keep doors shut and windows open where practicable. Keeping doors shut keeps people out and the dangers in! Simply knocking before entering will allow our people to avoid being unexpectedly distracted, especially if working at height or using machines and tools. Keeping windows open maximises ventilation and facilitates the dispersal of airborne particulates.
3. To let us know if members of your household have any existing health issues that could be aggravated by our works so that we may agree additional measures to mitigate against them.
4. Tell us about any concerns that you have about unsafe health and safety practices so that we can put them right immediately with the people involved. We’ve worked with all our contractors for a long time, and they’ll take our concerns seriously and without affecting their relationship with you.

Ours and particularly your health and safety during home renovations is non-negotiable for us. If you are planning a renovation project, please don’t compromise on health and safety. Let us work together to create a safe environment and achieve outstanding results.

Inspired?

At Nicholas Hythe, Cambridgeshire’s only Trading Standards approved kitchen designers and installers, we’re well used to helping clients make the decision that’s right for them while still making the refurbishment process as simple, efficient, safe and stress. So, when you’re ready, why not book an appointment with us, free and with no-obligation?