Pest professionals: continue to go to work if it's safe, says Gove to BPCA

Today (6 April 2020), the UK Government confirmed that pest management professionals can continue to go to work when it's safe to do so.

BPCA wrote to Government ministers, asking for pest management professionals to be considered essential workers during the Covid-19 pandemic.

While the BPCA's advice has always been to continue to work if you can mitigate the risks of spreading the virus, today the Cabinet Office has confirmed our advice to be correct.

Michael Gove MP, Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, wrote to BPCA to say:

The indicative list published in the guidance does not have wider implications, and does not confer special status on individuals included in the guidance pertaining to travel, business or any other services. Michael Gove MP, Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office

On continuing to work, Gove said:

"The Government's position remains that everyone who can work from home should do so.

"Where that is not possible, people should go into work where it is safe and they are not symptomatic, following relevant [Public Health England] PHE guidance."

We have created guidance for helping to decide should you keep trading/go out on a job, which is available for anyone to download.

Does the UK Government class us as key workers?

Gove confirmed that key worker status does not have any broader implications other than schools.

He said:

"We are asking individuals, employers and schools to make sensible judgments about the policy".

We take this to mean that where you are supporting one of the following sectors, you should be considered a key worker:

Health and social care

Education and childcare

Key public services

Local and national Government

Food and necessary goods

Public safety

Transport

Utilities, communication and financial services.

Ian Andrew, BPCA Chief Exec, said:

"While it's reassuring to see that BPCA's advice to the pest management community is correct, we'd have preferred to have seen the key workers list updated to explicitly include our sector and we will continue to push for this

"If we go into further lockdown measures, we want to make sure that pest professionals can continue to travel and conduct vital public health pest management.

“BPCA will never stop shouting about the incredibly important work our members do to protect British citizens and will continue to talk with the Government on matters important to the sector”.

Source: Online