Make Sure On-Site Welfare Facilities Are Up To The Job

The Health and Safety Executive for Northern Ireland (HSENI) is reminding contractors, and clients, of their legal requirements to provide suitable welfare facilities on construction sites.

Providing proper welfare facilities is fundamental in safeguarding the health and well-being of construction workers. Everyone who works on any site should have access to:

• clean and working toilets

• washbasins with hot and cold running water

• soap and towels

• sinks large enough to wash face, hands and forearms

• somewhere to change, dry and store clothing

• drinking water and a rest area to sit, make hot drinks and eat food

Responsibilities of contractors and clients

Contractors must provide welfare facilities, and maintain them in a clean and tidy state, throughout the life of the project. Clients (but not a domestic client – that is if you or your family plan to live in the building under construction) do not have to provide the welfare facilities themselves, but they do have a duty to ensure that contractors have arrangements in place to provide adequate welfare facilities. The pre-construction information prepared by the client should include the arrangements for welfare provision. This applies to all construction work. On notifiable projects (longer than 30 days or 500 person days), the client must ensure that the construction phase does not start unless they are satisfied that there are arrangements for welfare facilities to be provided. Decisions and action on welfare facilities need to be taken at an early stage of project planning ie before the contractor arrives on site to start construction work.

Facilities that must be provided

Toilets

Toilets should be ventilated, lit and kept in a clean and tidy condition. You should first consider if you can provide flushing toilets connected to mains water and drainage. Portable chemical toilets are acceptable only if it is not reasonably practicable to provide flushing toilets. Toilets must be kept clean and the frequency of cleaning will depend on the usage – basic daily cleaning may not be enough.

Washing facilities

Washing facilities must be provided so that workers can use them immediately after using the toilet. They should include:

• clean hot and cold, or warm water (running water should always be the first choice)

• soap or other suitable means of cleaning

• towels or other suitable means of drying

• sufficient ventilation and lighting

• sinks large enough to wash face, hands and forearms

Drinking water

Drinking water must be provided or made available at readily accessible and suitable places. Cups are required unless the supply is in a jet from which people can drink easily.

Changing rooms and lockers

Every site should have arrangements for securely storing personal clothing not worn on site and for PPE needed for site work. The room should be heated to allow wet clothes to dry and sufficient space is needed to allow separation of contaminated site clothes from everyday clothes.

Facilities for rest

Rest rooms or rest areas must have lighting, tables and seating sufficient for the number of persons likely to use them at any one time. There should be arrangements for meals to be prepared and eaten, plus means for boiling water. In cold weather, heating should be provided.

Transient work sites

If mobile teams work at a number of locations over a few days, for example, road repair and cable laying gangs, welfare facilities can be provided at a central location accessible within a reasonable distance or time. It may be appropriate to use facilities provided by the owner of the premises being worked on, local public facilities or the facilities of local businesses. Clear agreement must be made with the provider of these facilities – it should not be assumed that they can be used without this. The facilities must be open during working hours, free to the workers, be clean and have hand washing facilities. HSENI is the lead body responsible for the promotion and enforcement of health and safety at work standards in Northern Ireland. HSENI’s mission is to ensure that risks to people’s health and safety arising from work activities are effectively controlled.

For more information or advice on health and safety in construction contact HSENI on 0800 0320 121 or visit www.hseni.gov.uk

Information Leaflets

• Provision of welfare facilities during construction work (CIS 59)

• Welfare facilities – what you need to know as a busy builder (CIS 62)

For more info about this or other health and safety issues within the construction industry, please contact the HSENI helpline on: 0800 0320 121 or visit the construction section of the HSENI website: www.hseni.gov.uk. You can also follow HSENI on Twitter and FaceBook for timely health and safety news and updates: healthandsafetyexecutive and @Hsenigo