What welfare facilities must a construction site provide?
Schedule 2 of CDM 2015 requires toilets, washing facilities, drinking water, changing rooms and lockers where needed, and somewhere to rest and eat. Contractors must provide them, and HSE says the principal contractor must make sure they are in place from the start of the project until it finishes.
Who provides them, and when
HSE says everyone who works on a construction site must have access to toilets and facilities for washing, changing, eating and rest. Contractors must provide them and clients must make sure that happens. HSE adds that the type and number depend on the size and type of work.
Welfare is not something to sort out once the job is under way. HSE says principal contractors must see that it is provided from the start of the project until it finishes, and its guidance says to plan it before any construction work, including demolition, begins.
Toilets
Schedule 2 requires suitable and sufficient toilets in readily accessible places. HSE says they should be ventilated, lit and kept clean, and that daily cleaning may not be enough on a muddy site.
- Flushing toilets connected to mains water and drainage are preferred where possible, or units with a built-in water supply and drainage tank.
- Chemical toilets are acceptable where flushing toilets cannot be provided. HSE quotes BS 6465-1, which suggests one portable toilet for every seven people working a 40-hour week.
- Men and women can share a toilet only if it is in a lockable room. Facilities used by women need sanitary waste disposal.
- Keep toilet paper and soap topped up.
Washing
Washing facilities should be next to the toilets and any changing rooms. Schedule 2 requires hot or warm water, soap and a means of drying. HSE describes clean hot and cold, or warm, running water, with sinks large enough to wash hands, face and forearms.
Showers are needed where the work or health reasons call for them. HSE says that if the work is dirty, and demolition often is, showers must be provided. Where workers handle cement, lead or micro-organisms, keep washing separate from eating areas.
Drinking water, changing and lockers
Schedule 2 requires an adequate supply of wholesome drinking water in suitable places. HSE says it should ideally come direct from the mains, and that cups should be provided unless the water comes from a jet you can drink from directly.
Changing rooms are required where workers wear special clothing and cannot reasonably change elsewhere. They need seating and a way to dry wet clothing, and men and women should be able to change separately. Workers also need secure storage for their clothes and belongings. On a smaller site, HSE says a site office or a secured van can serve for this. Keep contaminated protective equipment apart from everyday clothes.
Rest facilities
Schedule 2 requires rest rooms or areas with enough tables and seats with backs for the people likely to use them, a way to boil water, and a suitable temperature. HSE adds that the area should shelter people from wind and rain, and should not be used to store plant, tools or materials.
If you use LPG heaters or cookers, HSE warns about carbon monoxide, and says electric equipment avoids that risk.
Small and domestic jobs
HSE does not set out a separate, lighter list for small jobs. Its guidance for busy builders lists the same basics: clean toilets, washbasins with hot and cold running water, soap and towels, somewhere to change and dry clothes, drinking water, and a place to sit, eat and make a hot drink. It says this applies even if you do not directly employ the people on site.
On a domestic project with one contractor, HSE says the contractor takes on the client duties. HSE also says existing facilities, such as a nearby cafe, can be used if the owner agrees and they are available whenever you are on site. If you plan to rely on a customer's bathroom or kitchen, agree it with them before you start, and check with HSE if you are unsure it is enough.