Can landscape gardeners work during Coronavirus lockdown in England?

I have an opportunity for a self employed landscape gardener to take on leads in Bristol, Weston super mare, North Somerset and Somerset areas. information

In the UK landscape gardeners have not been identified as key workers but, can continue to work landscaping gardens provided that the landscaper and the client is well and has no coronavirus symptoms.

So at the moment, landscape gardeners can continue to work where it is safe to do so and can maintain social distancing including staying two metres apart from the client and any other household occupants and two metres apart from people you are working with.

•  You should not carry out work  in any garden where anyone in the clients household is isolating or where an individual is being shielded.
• No work should be carried out by a landscape gardener or labourer who has even mild coronavirus symptoms.
• You should not take on any job that requires the use of public transport by yourself or helpers to get to the job.

landscape gardeners will be well within there rights to only take on jobs where; 

• They can access the garden using a side entrance,
• There will be no need for further direct contact with the client once the quote has been agreed, any further communication with customers can be by telephone or electronic devices.
• Payments can be made online. 
• Piers Corbyn or one of his weird covidiot sheep doesn't live their or hang about in a tent in the garden smoking pot.

• Keep hand sanitiser and soap in your kit and wash your hands regularly. Most gardens have an outside tap, if not ask the client to run a hose pipe with an on off switch to the garden. Or use a large water container with a tap, filled daily with clean water.
• Use hand sanitiser before opening and closing any gate locks
• Observe ‘social distancing’ with each other at least two metres
• Do not share tools like spades, shovels, angle-grinders and wackers, unless they have been sanitised,
• Minimise contact with each other for example no handshakes or hugging.

 For Landscape gardeners working alone if you stick to the rules and your client does too, you and your customer will be doing everything you can do to protect yourselfs and people you come into contact with from catching and spreading the Corona virus.

Obviously if you didn't need to go to work it would be a lot safer for all of us, but needs be!

• Employers should take steps to help workers get to the work site, where possible avoiding public transport.
• Admin staff, should be working from home and should not meet up with field teams at all, 
• Meetings are held online or on the phone. 
• Disinfection of tools, equipment, machinery and any work surfaces at least every hour .
• Clean shared tools and machinery frequently and limit the number of people who use them.
• Protective gloves, masks, tunics and safety equipment should be made available on site. Masks should be worn.
• Deliveries from builders merchants like cement, slabs, sand and gravel in plastic bags should be quarantined for as long as possible but at least three days, recent studies show the covid virus survives for up to three days on plastic and steel. Wipe smaller items with sanitiser. Working out what materials you need and ordering delivery to site early will help with the time delay. 
• Reduce frequency of deliveries, for example by ordering larger quantities less often. Where possible and safe, having single workers load or unload vehicles.
• Social distancing at least two metres apart is mandatory. A bit of planning can help here I/e  If laying patio slabs place the person mixing the cement by hand or with a mixer at least two metres away from the person laying the slabs, in beween mixes they could be moving slabs or making a hot drink!
• Consider separating the garden into smaller zones to keep groups separate.
• Putup simple signs to make it easy for everyone to social distance.
• Symptons of corona virus. If anyone (or someone in their household) has a persistent cough, a high temperature or has lost their sense of taste or smell, they should be isolating.
• Employers must not ask someone who is being required to self-isolate to come to work. Any employer asking an employee to break self-isolation to work is committing an offence.

These are the basic actions to make you and your landscaping business safe during coronavirus. You should also read the full version of the Government guidance below.

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/working-safely-during-coronavirus-covid-19