Posted By John Cawley Apologies if this issue has been discussed elsewhere in the forums. I was wondering if anyone could provide some guidance on a particular issue that has arisen at work. I work for a software company that will shortly be moving location to a large government site. The offices that we have been offered seem Ok with the exception that there are no kitchen facilities (for washing cups, etc.). We have been advised to use the sinks in the lavatories for this purpose. I find this unacceptable and view it as a potential safety risk. Is there any legal obligation either by the landlord or the employer to provide separate facilities for washing up food and drink utensils? There is a canteen some minutes away on the site and the landlord has stated that the provision of a canteen fulfils their legal obligations. However, the canteen facilites do not have any accessible kitchen facilites so I presume staff would have to purchase any hot drinks rather than prepare their own. I've had a look at the HSE regulations and I can't find anything that gives a definitive answer on this question (although some of the HSE guidance indicates that the employer should provide these facilities. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Regards, John Cawley

Posted By Ellen E Bunting Hi John I agree with Paul, however, you could try consulting with the employer and raise the issue as a genuine concern. What about requesting disposable cups or a drinking machine that provides both the drink and the cup. Your employer might think its a tall order but you won't know until you ask. EEB

Posted By John Cawley Thanks for all of the the advice. I'm off to do a bit of negotiating... Regards, John Cawley