The 'essential' work dilemma

摘要

There is surely no argument about the importance of the HVAC sector and how essential it is to our general health and wellbeing. Yet how the sector should continue to operate is a complicated matter. The word 'essential' is one you will see a lot throughout this issue. Correctly defining the term for the industry is more than an egoquenching exercise to prove how important the work of heating and ventilation specialists is to the country. Ensuring a clear understanding of what the essential projects are has drastic repercussions for the health, economic wellbeing and safety of hundreds of thousands of companies and workers. Since the government first announced the restrictions on the type of businesses that could operate in late March, asking millions of people to self-isolate wherever possible in their homes, the importance of ensuring that hospitals and key services have hot water has never really been in doubt. Yet policy is divided in the UK construction sector over just what is a necessary risk to be able to perform work for the purposes of installing heat or ventilation.