Stopcocks Women Plumbers' founder Hattie Hasan has railed against the prospect that plumbing companies could require operatives to be vaccinated against COVID-19 in order to continue working.

Hattie believes that while we’re all waiting for the vaccines to bring this crisis under control, it's important business leaders to take a thought-out approach rather than giving 'knee-jerk' reactions. She suggests that it's important avoid reactions that could increase "fear and mistrust".

Plumbers, heating engineers, and electricians, in particular, who deal with urgent and emergency situations are highly aware that they’re both personally at risk and could also pose a threat to householders, which is why they’ve been at the forefront of safer practices since the COVID-19 crisis began.

With questions still remaining over whether vaccinating operatives will ensure the safety of customers, Hattie argues that sticking to medical guidelines, such as those promoting safe working practices (safe distances, hand and surface cleaning, and wearing a mask), are more helpful, especially since much of the UK population won’t receive the second dose of vaccinations until the end of 2021.

Hattie said: "Many tradespeople we've spoken to are unhappy that ’no jab, no job’ requirements invade their civil liberties, and could be disruptive. Will tradespeople refuse to enter households where people haven’t been vaccinated? It could be a slippery slope. Virtually all the tradeswomen we’ve spoken to are very keen to be vaccinated against COVID-19 but they’re also unhappy that some bosses are suggesting they ‘must’ receive vaccinations to remain working.

"Although we believe most tradespeople will decide to be vaccinated, it’s currently unknown whether the COVID-19 vaccine prevents transmission as well as keeping people symptom-free.

Most tradespeople currently don't fall within the age range to receive the COVID-19 vaccines for some time and insistence on vaccines will only serve to compound existing economic deprivation felt because of the current crisis, Hattie says. 

She added: “Tradeswomen are unhappy about employers and companies attempting to control their bodies in this way. Thousands of householders have been telling us for years that they don’t feel safe not having a choice over who comes into their homes – that’s why we started Stopcocks and the Register of Tradeswomen. Women, particularly, have been calling for more safety overall. They want the opportunity to choose who comes into their homes and for some this means choosing tradeswomen.”

Hasan believes that a better look at safety overall is called for, including and beyond the current health crisis: “Only then can we come up with guidelines for behaviour that will work over time and for all of us.”