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Posted By Polly
Morning all, I am looking for a little bit of advice.
We are carrying out works on a construction site, which has good welfare facilities, however we are having a problem with the site manager over the use of the drying room.
Our lads are putting their clothes in the drying room at the end of the day, to enable them to dry out ready for the next day, they are hanging the coats etc on the hooks provided and are not abusing the area, but the site manager is switching the electricity off at the consumer box at the end of the day, meaning that the coats are still wet the next morning, or in this mornings case frozen solid.
The matter has been raised with the site manager on a few occasions, but he is saying that the power is switched off as the area could be a fire hazard.
In my opinion it it a properly designed drying room, with a covered radiators, controlled by a thermostat, and therefore a low fire risk and I cant see why the power needs to be switched off over night.
I would appreciate your thoughts on this and how I can approach this with the manager.
Thanks in advance.
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Posted By GSP
Do a RA, show him there's a very minimal fire risk.
I find it strange that the site manager has more authority than the site safety manager (if that is what you are?) on safety matters though.
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Posted By karina brady1
There are special heaters available for drying rooms that are fitted up high so that no clothes can be placed on them reducing the risk of fire.
What do other workers/contractors on the site have to say about this? In my experience, heaters have always been left turned on over night in the drying hut because there would be uproar the next morning if clothes were still damp or wet.
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Posted By Martyn Hendrie
Hi Polly,
Generally the whole point of a drying room is that workers clothes can be dried ready for the next day.
Is there any justification that it is a fire risk to leave the power on? Are the cabins mains powered or on a generator?
If the answer is that there is no risk and this is an isolated issue on one site with one site manager. I would tend to try again to get him to change his mind. If that does not work (having made it clear to him that you are not happy to leave the situation unresolved) I would refer it to his line/contracts manager.
Hopefully, they will ensure compliance.
If there is a legitimate fire hazard then equally that should be addressed so that the drying room can be used effectively.
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Posted By cara
Sounds like he's just trying to save some pennies to me!
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Posted By Jonathan Breeze
Alternatively,
Get them to supply two sets of working clothes, one of which can be dried during the day while the others are worn.
Then he can have his way about switching off the heating overnight and you get the dry work-wear you require for the following day.
Just thinking out loud, it may or may not work.
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Posted By Homer
He hasn't a leg to stand on, dry clothes or no work.
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Posted By Polly
Thank you for your replies.
I have asked the site manager for a copy of his risk assessment and pointed out the need to be able to dry clothes. there's not much point is supplying a good welfare set up, if it cant be used for its intended purpose.
We are a subcontractor on site, which is why the site manager has more of a say than I do, if we were PC, there is no question that the heaters would be left on.
Normally I would talk to the principal contractors safety advisor but they use an external consultant, who I've not yet managed to track down.
We do have offices on site (mains powered) and tried putting coats etc in there, but when the site manager found out, he turn the power off at the consumer unit.
I shall wait to see his response and will then talk to his boss if we haven't managed to resolve the problem.
Thanks
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Posted By Andrew Cartridge
Polly
IMHO, somebody is in breach of the 96 welfare regs (22)
"Anybody in control of a site has to ensure that there are reasonable welfare facilities available at readily accessible places. This does not necessarily mean, for example, that the main contractor has to provide these facilities, but they should check that others who have duties are making this provision".
Also have a look at CIS 18 (rev1)
Merry christmas
Andy
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