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So the idea that there would be a policed "line" is irrelevant.
My point was that people have been pointing the finger at construction workers, as if there were a line to police, which is wrong, so we are in agreement here.
I work in construction, and felt very uncomfortable in the last week at the workshop leading up to lockdown. I was relieved when we closed even though I lost 6 months income. I was able to mitigate this hit, but I know many can't. My point is more about blame culture and finger pointing in the context of this government statement, than the practicalities of safe working environments.
William.-
I was going to mention I remembered you worked on site.
Then I think your wording was a bit unclear, it read like you're talking about essential and non-essential work as policeable things (and that policing them would be impractical/undesirable), which they aren't really.
I agree, way too much pointing the finger at "non-essential work" when that's totally allowed. It's "essential" to travel to (non-essential) work if you can't work from home.
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-outbreak-faqs-what-you-can-and-cant-do/coronavirus-outbreak-faqs-what-you-can-and-cant-do#how-can-i-find-out-if-my-work-is-essential-or-not
hoefla
There's a broad misunderstanding about "essential work". Gov advice is that if you can't work from home, you can go to work but you try to do it as safely as possible. Any type of non-essential work can be done apart from specific businesses/activities that have been closed. So the idea that there would be a policed "line" is irrelevant.
The problem is that many building sites are difficult if not impossible to work in safely given lack of handwashing, cramped welfare facilities, dimensions of scaffolding, two-person manual handling etc.
There's also something of a problematic power dynamic on many projects. Construction workers may feel they have no choice except to go to work in dangerous conditions (even more so than usual). Perhaps HSE can get called in over sites that aren't safe to work in.