Timberwise MD calls for rethink of how the industry protects residents, vulnerable occupants and the public during damp, timber and fungal decay treatments
One of the UK’s most experienced property care specialists is calling on the industry to fundamentally rethink its approach to safety in occupied properties, warning that too many contractors fail to plan adequately before work begins – leaving residents, vulnerable occupants and even members of the public unnecessarily at risk.
George Edwards, Managing Director of Timberwise, one of the UK’s largest family-run property care companies, says the challenge of working in occupied homes and businesses is consistently underestimated across the sector.
“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.”
Unlike construction sites, where hazards are expected and all personnel are trained to recognise them, occupied properties present a fundamentally different environment. Families remain in residence, staff continue working at their desks, and the people closest to the activity may have no understanding of the risks involved.
Edwards, who has spent decades in specialist property care, says that safe practice must begin long before technicians arrive on site. Route planning, containment of dust and debris, securing of ladders and access equipment at the end of each day, and clear communication with clients before drilling starts are all essential steps that responsible operators must embed as standard.
“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.”
Protecting the Most Vulnerable
Edwards highlights the moment a contractor realises a vulnerable person is present as a critical test of a company’s standards, and one that demands an immediate reassessment of the approach.
“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.”
Edwards notes that pets fall into the same category as vulnerable occupants. Curious or agitated animals near active treatments represent a risk both to themselves and to the people working in the property, and access must be controlled accordingly during treatment.
Duty of Care Extends Beyond the Front Door
Perhaps most strikingly, Edwards argues that the contractor’s responsibility does not end at the client’s threshold, extending to pedestrians, neighbours and anyone else who might be affected by the work.
“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 provides specialist damp proofing, timber treatment and structural waterproofing services across the UK. The company’s full guidance on working safely in occupied properties is available on its website
