Procedures for Identification and Isolation of Sick People

Develop policies and procedures for prompt identification and isolation of sick people, if appropriate. 

• Prompt identification and isolation of potentially infectious individuals are critical steps in protecting inspectors, clients, occupants, homeowners, real estate agents, and others at the house being inspected. 

• Home inspection business owners should inform and encourage employees and inspectors to self-monitor for signs and symptoms of COVID-19 if they suspect possible exposure. 

• Business owners should develop policies and procedures for employees and inspectors to report when they are sick or experiencing symptoms of COVID-19. 

• Where appropriate, employers should develop policies and procedures for immediately isolating people who have signs and/or symptoms of COVID-19 and train employees to implement them. Potentially infectious people should move to a location away from employees, inspectors, clients, homeowners, occupants, real estate professionals, and others. 

• If a home inspector feels sick, they should go home. Apologize and excuse yourself. Grab your computer, equipment and tools. Leave the house immediately. Go to your inspection vehicle. Call someone to notify them and ask for assistance or advice. 

• If a home inspector suspects someone of having a sickness or symptoms of COVID-19, feel free to protect yourself and leave the house being inspected.

• Take steps to limit the spread of the respiratory secretions of a person who may have COVID-19. If you are working with another inspector, for example, and they are not feeling well, you may want to offer the other person a face mask, if feasible and available, and then separate from each other. The inspector who is not feeling well should immediately go home. Note: A face mask (also called a surgical mask, procedure mask, or other similar terms) on a sick person should not be confused with PPE (personal protection equipment) for an inspector. The mask acts to contain potentially infectious respiratory secretions at the source (i.e., the person’s nose and mouth).

 

General Safety Precautions

• Restrict the number of people in the office of the home inspection business. It's best, if possible, for everyone to work from home. 

• Restrict the number of people at the property and house being inspected. 

• Ask everyone to leave the house being inspected. If someone feels compelled to be at the house, ask them to stay outside or in their vehicle. 

• Ask the homeowner, seller, occupant to leave the house before you arrive to inspect the house. 

• Ask the real estate agents to not attend the inspection.