Welfare Facilities
You should provide:
- 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 cups if needed;
- a rest area to sit, make hot drinks and eat food.
You must also keep your welfare facilities warm and well ventilated, with lighting if necessary.
You must also ensure that the facilities are kept clean and in good condition, and that there is always an adequate supply of toilet paper, soap etc. This means that you need to put in place an effective system to maintain them to a high standard, including regular cleaning.
Further Information:
Visit http://www.hse.gov.uk/construction/index.htm for more specific information on CDM 2015 and health and safety in the construction industry, including a link to additional guidance for CDM duty holders developed by the construction industry.
What you need to know:
Construction workers need adequate toilet and washing facilities, a place to warm up and eat their food and somewhere to store clothing. However, these basic requirements are often neglected. A cold water tap and chemical toilet on their own are not adequate facilities. Good facilities can positively benefit health and well-being and can help to prevent dermatitis.
If you employ anyone (however short the period) you must ‘so far as is reasonably practicable’, provide adequate and appropriate welfare facilities for them while they are at work. This means you must provide such facilities unless it is clearly unreasonable in terms of time, trouble, cost and physical difficulty.
