Property care expert says better planning is essential to protect homeowners, vulnerable residents and the wider public during specialist treatment work
A leading UK property care company is urging contractors to rethink how they prepare for work inside occupied homes, warning that many projects begin without enough consideration for the people who remain on site. According to Timberwise Managing Director George Edwards, effective safety starts well before technicians arrive, not once work is already underway.
One of the UK’s largest family-run property care specialists, Timberwise believes the risks associated with damp proofing, timber preservation and fungal decay treatments are frequently underestimated when homes and businesses remain occupied.
“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 traditional construction sites, occupied properties require a different mindset. Residents continue their daily routines, employees remain at work, and many people nearby may be completely unaware of the hazards involved.
Edwards says safe working practices should include detailed route planning, dust and debris containment, securing ladders and access equipment after each working day, and ensuring clients fully understand what work will take place before 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.”
Protecting vulnerable occupants
Edwards believes discovering that a vulnerable resident is present should immediately change how a contractor approaches the work.
“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 added that pets also require careful consideration, as they may unintentionally enter treatment areas or create additional risks for technicians if access is not properly controlled.
Responsibility beyond the property
Edwards also argues that contractors should consider anyone who could be affected by their work, including neighbours and passers-by.
“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 delivers specialist damp proofing, timber preservation and structural waterproofing services across the UK. Full guidance on safe working in occupied properties is available on the company’s website.
